Learn Spotted Lanternfly Prevention In Malvern Nov 8

MALVERN, PA – As the Spotted Lanternfly issue persists and grows in the greater Philadelphia region, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture officials are hosting a special presentation on the invasive and agriculturally-dangerous insect in November.

From 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8, Department of Agriculture Forester Michael Panuschka will host a presentation on the insect at the Malvern Borough Hall.

Panuschka will discuss treatment of Spotter Lanternfly and its host tree: the tree of heaven.

Informational pamphlets will be distributed to those in attendance, as well.

Malvern Borough Hall is located at 1 E. First Ave., Suite 3, in Malvern.

Lycorma delicatula, AKA the Spotted Lanternfly, is a new invasive insect that has spread throughout southeastern Pennsylvania since its discovery in Berks County in 2014. They have recently been discovered in Chester County. The Spotted Lanternfly presents a significant threat to Pennsylvania agriculture, including the grape, tree-fruit, hardwood and nursery industries, which collectively are worth nearly $18 billion to the state's economy.

Spotted Lanternfly attacks fruit trees. It feeds on the sap in trunks, branches, twigs and leaves. As it digests the sap, the insect excretes a substance. There may be a buildup of the sticky fluid on infested plants and on the ground below. The sap also provides a medium for growth of fungi, such as sooty mold, which can cover leaf surfaces and stunt growth. Plants with heavy infestations may not survive.

Potentially at stake are Pennsylvania's grape, tree-fruit, hardwood, nursery and landscape industries, which generate agricultural crops and forest products worth nearly $18 billion annually. The insect also can cause damage to high-value ornamentals in home landscapes and can affect quality of life for residents.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has issued a quarantine for areas that have been confirmed to harbor the Spotted Lanternfly. The counties that have been quarantined are Berks, Bucks, Chester, Dauphin, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, and Schuylkill.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture advises that the Adult Spotted Lanternfly and nymphs can be mechanically destroyed, such as being swatted with a shoe. If you encounter an egg mass, they suggest scraping the mass into a bottle that can be sealed. If you cannot scrape the egg mass into a container, mechanically destroy it as best as possible. Check your car and any furniture before exiting a quarantine zone.

The species are known as "hitchhikers" and camouflage themselves in blankets and on cars. If moving furniture or wood out of quarantine, please make sure they are free of egg masses.

Image via Shutterstock