As part of a statewide effort to control the invasive spotted lanternfly, state officials are asking Pennsylvania businesses to step up and help out.
During a press conference held Tuesday at Cheswick-based Eichenlaub Inc., Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences Dean Rick Roush, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Administrator Carlos Martinez said it will take the efforts of residents and businesses to wipe the bug out.
“The spotted lanternfly is the worst bug in the commonwealth and capable of causing real damage to Pennsylvania’s $132.5 billion agriculture industry,” Redding said. “Over the past seven years, we’ve seen lanternfly travel from east to west in the commonwealth. We’ve seen vineyards devastated. It’s invasive environmentally, socially, and economically.
Since 2014, the spotted lanternfly has spread to 34 Pennsylvania counties. Those counties have been quarantined, and businesses in and traveling through those counties have been asked to obtain a free spotted lanternfly permit. Getting the permit means a business commits to maintaining a workforce that is trained to spot and report lanternfly. Failure to get a permit can result in a $300 fine. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture released a Spotted Lanternfly Business Toolkit for businesses to learn why the insect is bad, how the quarantine works, if they need a permit, and what their responsibilities are once they have a permit.
The spotted lanternfly is a native of Asia. The insect feeds on the sap of grapevines, maple trees, black walnut trees, birch trees, and willow trees. The feeding can damage and even kill the plants, impacting the grape, fruit tree, plant nursery, and timber industries. One recent economic impact study estimated the insect could cost the state $324 million annually, resulting in a loss of 2,800 jobs.
Additionally, the bugs excrete honeydew, a sugary waste that attracts bees, wasps, and other insects. As the waste builds up on surfaces below the bugs, it can coat cars, houses, patio furniture, and other items with a sticky syrup. The build-up of waste also leads to the growth of sooty mold and black-colored fungus.
Treatment to attack newly identified spotted lanternfly populations is funded through the Rapid Response Disaster Readiness line item in Gov. Tom Wolf’s Pennsylvania Farm Bill. The 2021-2022 Farm Bill proposes spending another $3 million to combat the invasive insect.