7 More Montgomery County Municipalities Added To Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has added 21 municipalities — including seven from Montgomery County — to the spotted lanternfly quarantine.

In Montgomery County, the quarantine is now in place in Salford, Skippack, Collegeville, Green Lane, Schwenksville, Souderton, and Trappe. The quarantine was already in place in Douglass, Franconia, Marlborough, New Hanover, Limerick, Lower Frederick, Lower Pottsgrove, Upper Frederick Upper Hanover, Upper Pottsgrove, Upper Providence, Upper Salford, West Pottsgrove, East Greenville, Pennsburg, Pottstown, Red Hill, and Royersford.

Several municipalities in the region, including those in Montgomery, Chester and Lehigh counties, are also under quarantine, which restricts movements of material that could spread the pest. Nymph and adult spotted lanternflies cause extensive damage when they feed, sucking sap from stems and leaves and causing the plant to ooze and weep.

Not only does the plant die but the “fermented odor” caused by the feeding, along with the fluid excreted by the insects themselves, promotes mold growth and draws even more insects, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The roughly inch-long plant hopper is a native to China, India, and Vietnam.

There are 25 species of plants in Pennsylvania which the lanternfly has been known to feed off of. Click here for more details from the state Department of Agriculture.

Here is what they look like. (More images can be found here.)

“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," Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said in a statement.

In addition to ecological degradation, the lanternfly can have a significant economic impact. The bug threatens Pennsylvania's $20.5 million grape industry, $134 million apple industry, $24 million stone fruit industry, and $12 billion hardwood industry, agriculture officials said.

Montgomery County residents who find spotted lanternflies are asked to take a photograph if possible, immediately destroy them, and then alert the State Department of Agriculture at (717) 787-4737.

The following towns in the Philadelphia region are under the quarantine. Towns that have bolded text have been newly added to the list:

BUCKS COUNTY
Bedminister, Haycock, Hilltown, Milford and Richland townships; and Dublin, Quakertown, Richlandtown, Silverdale and Trumbauersville boroughs

CHESTER COUNTY
East Coventry, East Pikeland, East Vincent, North Coventry, South Coventry, and Warwick townships; and Spring City Borough

MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Douglass, Franconia, Marlborough, New Hanover, Limerick, Lower Frederick, Lower Pottsgrove, Salford, Skippack, Upper Frederick Upper Hanover, Upper Pottsgrove, Upper Providence, Upper Salford, and West Pottsgrove townships; and Collegeville, East Greenville, Green Lane, Pennsburg, Pottstown, Red Hill, Royersford, Schwenksville, Souderton, and Trappe boroughs

With reporting from Patch editor Kara Seymour

Patch file photo