Spotted Lanternfly Information from the NJ Department of Agriculture

Below are a series of links for homeowners to educate themselves about what they can do to assist the NJ Department of Agriculture and the USDA’s efforts to slow the spread, protect agricultural commodities and reduce the public nuisance of the spotted lanternfly, a foreign invasive insect.  The NJ Department of Agriculture and the USDA have been conducting surveys and treatments against this insect since it’s discovery in 2018. To date, over 563,317 acres in 8 Quarantined Counties are involved in the Project for survey locations and treatments on Tree of Heaven.  Although the insect can feed and grow on over 70 species of trees and plants, it has a preference for Tree of Heaven (an invasive tree) and annually adults begin congregating on these trees to reach maturity for mating and egg laying. The treatment protocols conducted by the field crews identify locations of Tree of Heaven on properties and if found would conduct systemic tree treatments on trees with diameters of 7 inches or larger (large trees) and herbicide treatments on smaller diameter trees leaving only treated “Trap Trees” for the insects to feed on. 

https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/pi/prog/spottedlanternfly.html  General SLF webpage: This has videos, pdf’s and general information concerning the biology, treatment recommendations permitting requirements for businesses travelling in and out of the Quarantine Zones of the state, Regulations, Map of the Quarantine areas and overall general information about the Program.

https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/pi/pdf/SLFHomeownerTreatmentRecs.pdf  Homeowner treatment recommendations.

https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/pi/pdf/NJResidenceSLFChecklist.pdf    Resident checklist to help reduce the amount of hitchhiking activities by this insect.