With the closing of the Purdue grain facility in Bordontown, field crops growers are sending trucks to southeastern PA to deliver grain, and produce shippers and others may be working/delivering to warehouses there too. Burlington County Agricultural Agent Bill Bamka shares the following information about shipping into or out of Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) quarantine zones (including some northwestern NJ counties):
Spotted Lanternfly adult with wings spread. Adults are about 1″ long
Spotted Lanternfly is an invasive insect recognized as a threat to agriculture in New Jersey and the United States. Multiple states in the Mid-Atlantic area have SLF populations and/or quarantines in place. Currently New Jersey has quarantines in Warren, Hunterdon, and Mercer counties. Pennsylvania has a quarantine area of 14 counties across the southeastern portion of the state.
Spotted lanterfly nymph. Nymphs are black with red markings and white dots. Do not confuse them with BMSB nymphs which do not have spots and have white banding on the antennae.
Life stages of the SLF, from nymphs to adults, can fly, hop, or drop into or onto vehicles or equipment. This can lead to SLF being easily and quickly spread. Therefore, a quarantine over an area found to harbor the SLF means that any material or object that can spread the pest cannot be moved without taking precautions to prevent that spread.
Spotted Lanternfly adult. Adults are about 1″ long
A permit is required for those located or working in and out of both the New Jersey and Pennsylvania quarantine area, who move vehicles, products or other conveyances into or out of the quarantine zone. This permit may be obtained through the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and is recognized for use by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, and other states. Motor carriers conducting business in the southeastern corner of Pennsylvania were required as of May 1, 2019 to obtain a SLF permit. Carriers with drivers who have not completed the training by the deadline could face litigation, could be turned away from the quarantine area, or be stopped for inspection by law enforcement.
Some in the New Jersey agricultural community routinely conduct business across the river in Pennsylvania. Though your farm or business may be located outside a current SLF quarantine zone, you could be conducting business within a quarantine area which would require a SLF permit. The PA Department of Agriculture lists two scenarios that may be useful to growers on their SLF permit page. https://www.agriculture.pa.gov/Plants_Land_Water/PlantIndustry/Entomology/spotted_lanternfly/quarantine/Pages/Do-I-Need-a-Permit.aspx
- Scenario One: An agricultural business that is based outside the quarantine zone routinely delivers produce to a retail distribution center in the quarantine zone. The truck stops in the zone, unloads product, may or may not load material for the return trip. This business needs a permit. This business, although it is based outside the quarantine zone, needs to have a SLF permit.
- Scenario Two: My business drives through the PA quarantine zone but does not stop. Do I need a permit? If you do not stop in the PA quarantine zone for business or for anything except quick stops (i.e. fueling), you are not required to get the permit.
To obtain a permit, a designated individual from an organization must receive training and pass an online test to demonstrate a working knowledge and understanding of the pest and quarantine requirements. Online permit training can be found at https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly.
For further information on SLF Permits and Quarantines the following links may be useful:
- https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly-permit-training
- https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/pi/prog/spottedlanternfly.html
- https://www.agriculture.pa.gov/Plants_Land_Water/PlantIndustry/Entomology/spotted_lanternfly/quarantine/Documents/SLF%20FAQ.pdf
- https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/rule/R.2017%20d.190%20(50%20NJR%202235(a)).pdf
- https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/pi/pdf/Quarantine%20General%20Audience.pdf
