PEST ALERT!
This page will be updated regularly to spotlight specific pests that are of critical importance for you to know about in your local community. Check back often!
Spotted Lanternfly
What is it and how did it get here? Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive insect from Asia that was discovered in Berks County, 50 miles west of Philadelphia, in 2014. It is a highly destructive pest of trees, native and non-native, plus grapes, apples and other agricultural crops. It probably arrived in an egg stage on pallets from China, Vietnam and/or India. It has spread rapidly and has been found in 13 Pennsylvania counties, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and New York.
Does it kill trees and other plants? Probably. Trees and other plants that have been affected by this pest for several years are definitely in severe decline. Growers of grapes, apples and hops have, are or will be, experiencing billions of dollars in losses. Residential and commercial properties are expected to suffer a similar fate with trees and shrubs that are destroyed. This is a very serious problem!!
LEARN MORE ABOUT SPOTTED LANTERNFLYEmerald Ash Borer
This beetle, originally from Asia, was discovered in July 2002 feeding on Ash trees in Southeastern Michigan. Larvae feed in the cambium layer of the tree (between the bark and the wood) and produce galleries that eventually girdle and kill the tree by disrupting the nutrient and water conducting tissues. Emerald Ash Borer has spread into Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Over 50 million Ash trees have been killed. In June 2007, EAB was found in western PA, near Pittsburgh and continued spread has occurred in PA. Emerald Ash Borers were detected in June 2008 in a county adjacent to the original PA discovery. Adult beetles are slender, elongate and small (.3 to .5 inches long). Adults are usually bronze or golden green with darker, metallic, emerald green wing covers. Larvae are white to cream-colored and flat. The head is brown and is usually retracted into the prothorax and only mouthparts are visible. The abdomen has 10 segments and has a pair of brown, pincer-like appendages on the last segment.
