🔴 Quarantine zone increased from 13 to 21 counties

🔴 Residents must follow a checklist

🔴 Certain businesses require a travel permit

Invasive spotted lantern flies continue to expand their range in the Garden State.

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday that all 21 counties are now officially included in the Lantern Fly quarantine zone.

until now, The zone included 13 counties.

“The population has grown and spread. Now it’s basically everywhere in the state,” Saul Byciunas, a plant pathologist at the Department of Agriculture, told 101.5FM New Jersey.

What does it mean to be part of the quarantine zone?

The point of quarantine designation involves everyone in the state in New Jersey’s efforts to slow or stop the spread of this pest, which is native to Asia and was first discovered in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014. That’s it.

Quarantine designation requires residents to use a checklist before moving listed articles hereThe list includes dozens of items including bikes, campers, firewood, fences, lawn mowers, sandboxes and more.

The checklist included a place to be signed by the resident to inspect these items and indicate that no spotted lantern flies or egg masses were seen. The signed checklist is kept in the running vehicle.

Additionally, residents are asked to check their vehicles before leaving the zone. “Because the spotted lanternfly has the ability to hitchhike for miles in any vehicle.”

The quarantine designation seems to make more sense for businesses.Work that regularly enters and exits the quarantine area permission is required (pictured above), after “taking and passing” the free online training.

The quarantine designation also allows access to property of certain government agencies with suspected or confirmed lantern flies so that the property can be evaluated and dispositioned as necessary.

Scraping egg masses of reed fly

In New Jersey, adult dropper lanternflies are not seen in early February, but egg masses can be found lurking in trees and outdoor surfaces throughout the state.

Egg masses should hatch in late April or early May. The insect then goes through several stages of development and becomes an adult in late July or early August. Spawning then begins again in September.

“All the staff are raking the egg clumps. We’re raking up to 65,000 clumps this season,” Vaiciunas said.

They mainly attacked “priority locations” such as seaports, airports, marshalling yards and mass transit operations, he said.

For years, New Jersey has encouraged “stomping” spotted lantern flies and removing egg masses on the premises.

Each egg mass can produce 30 to 50 larvae. The new clumps have a light gray mud-like appearance. Older clumps are more tan and look like cracked mud.

Check out this article About how to break the egg mass.

Dino Flammia I am a reporter for the New Jersey 101.5. You can contact him at his dino.flammia@townsquaremedia.com.