Skip to Content
/ Articles / Environment /

Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Expands in Three Southeastern PA Counties

Jul 03, 2017 • by PA Department of Agriculture
Photo captured by Berks County resident Shane Christman.

Nine municipalities spanning Berks, Bucks, Montgomery counties added; 84 municipalities now quarantined.

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has announced that nine municipalities in southeastern Pennsylvania have been added to the list of areas quarantined due to the invasive Spotted Lanternfly.

In Berks County, Muhlenberg Township and Laureldale Borough were added to the quarantine area. In Bucks County, sightings of the invasive insect were confirmed in Springfield, East Rockhill and West Rockhill townships, as well as Perkasie, Sellersville and Telford boroughs. The addition of Telford Borough, in Montgomery County, brought the total number of affected municipalities to 84. The quarantine restricts movement of any material or object that can spread the pest.

“This is our third season of combatting the Spotted Lanternfly, and despite extensive work that has helped slow the spread of this potentially devastating invasive pest, the addition of these new municipalities illustrates just how challenging a task that is,” said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “Our goal remains to eliminate this pest from Pennsylvania and see to it that it does not spread elsewhere. But to do that, we need the public to help us by watching out for these pests, reporting new infestations, and ensuring that they don’t hitch a ride when you travel.”

The Spotted Lanternfly is an inch-long black, red and white spotted pest that is native to China, India, Japan, and Vietnam. It is an invasive species in Korea, where it has attacked 25 plant species that also grow in Pennsylvania. The pest had not been found in the United States prior to its initial detection in Berks County in the fall of 2014.

Redding encouraged residents inside the quarantine zone to report any yet-unreported locations of Spotted Lanternfly infestations to the department.

If you live outside the quarantined zone and find a specimen, first place the sample in alcohol or hand sanitizer in a leak-proof container. Then, submit the specimen to your county Penn State Extension office or to the department’s entomology lab for verification. Do not move live specimens. Even within the quarantine area, there are many places that do not have active populations of Spotted Lanternfly, so officials ask the public to help prevent the spread of this pest by inspecting themselves and their belongings for the pest before moving to a new area.

The general quarantine of these infested areas restricts movement of any material or object that could spread the pest. This includes firewood or wood products, brush or yard waste, remodeling or construction materials and waste, boxes or other packing materials, grapevines for decorative purposes or as nursery stock, and any outdoor household articles like lawnmowers, grills, tarps and other equipment, as well as trucks and vehicles not typically stored indoors.

The quarantine now covers:

Berks County: Alsace, Amity, Centre, Colebrookdale, District, Douglass, Earl, Exeter, Hereford, Longswamp, Maiden Creek, Maxatawny, Muhlenberg, Oley, Pike, Richmond, Robeson, Rockland, Ruscombmanor, Union and Washington townships, and the boroughs of Bally, Bechtelsville, Birdsboro, Boyertown, Centreport, Fleetwood, Kutztown, Laureldale, Lyons, St. Lawrence, and ToptonBucks County: Haycock, Milford, Richland, Springfield, East Rockhill and West Rockhill townships and Perkasie, Richlandtown, Quakertown, Sellersville, Telford and Trumbauersville boroughsChester County: East Coventry, East Pikeland, East Vincent, North Coventry, South Coventry, and Warwick townships, and Spring City BoroughLehigh County: Upper Saucon, Lower Macungie, Upper Macungie, Upper Milford, Lower Milford, Salisbury, Whitehall, and South Whitehall townships; the boroughs of Alburtis, Coopersburg, Emmaus and Macungie; and the cities of Allentown and BethlehemMontgomery County: Douglass, Marlborough, New Hanover, Upper Hanover, Upper Providence, Upper Pottsgrove, Upper Salford, Upper Frederick, Limerick, Lower Frederick, Lower Pottsgrove and West Pottsgrove townships, and the boroughs of East Greenville, Green Lane, Pennsburg, Pottstown, Red Hill, Royersford and TelfordNorthampton County: Bethlehem City

Visit agriculture.pa.gov to access the Spotted Lanternfly quarantine checklist, view the quarantine map, or contact a local municipality or extension office. The checklist provides guidelines for inspecting vehicles and other items stored outdoors each time they are moved out of the quarantine area.

Businesses in the general quarantine area may need to obtain a Phytosanitary Certificate from the department to move articles. Local Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture inspectors can work with businesses to ensure that they are complying with quarantine restrictions.

Photos of adults or egg masses found outside of the quarantined areas can be submitted to [email protected]. To report a site, call the Invasive Species Report Line at 1-866-253-7189 and provide details of the sighting and your contact information.

Suspect specimens can be submitted directly to the department’s headquarters in Harrisburg or to any of its six regional offices. Specimens also can be submitted to county Penn State Extension offices.

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, visit agriculture.pa.gov and look under “Hot Topics” for Spotted Lanternfly.

We need your support!

Your contribution makes community media possible.

A donation of any size to your nonprofit media organization supports the future of media access in our community - the things you love, and the places you care about, by the people you know.

Live Streaming