DOVER, Del. – Following up on the recent announcement of USDA’s approval of Delaware’s Domestic Hemp Production Program, the Delaware Department of Agriculture released their registration materials online Friday, February 7.

Under the Delaware Domestic Hemp Production Program, the Delaware Department of Agriculture is responsible for regulating the production of hemp. The Department does not have oversight of the selling of hemp products or the businesses marketing these products. This includes any CBD product.

In the Participant Guide, Plant Industries Administrator Jessica Inhof outlined differences from the 2019 Delaware Hemp Research Pilot Program to the 2020 production program, including:

• The Department has removed acreage limits for producing hemp.
• The Department has removed the requirement that seed be delivered to the Department for producer pick up. Please note, when purchasing seed, all seed is still subject to the Federal Seed Act and Delaware Seed Law which regulate seed tags and labeling.
• The Department has removed the requirement to work with a research institution. A Research Agreement with Delaware State University or any other university is no longer required.
• The Department will issue official cards for participants to prove credentials to law enforcement if needed. These cards will demonstrate your participation in the Program.
• The Department will allow producers to designate one person as an Authorized Representative with the authority to be present at sample collection and correspond with the Department. This person must be indicated on the Producer Application and must submit a Criminal History Report.
• The Department requires only one Criminal History Report, if applying for more than one license type. Criminal History Reports are to be submitted at the time of application or renewal and must be dated no more than four months prior.

The 2020 Delaware Domestic Hemp Production Program is fee-based as outlined in the Participant Guide and applications that can be found online at https://de.gov/hemp.

For this year, the Delaware Department of Agriculture will be accepting producer applications and growing site registrations from February 7 to May 7, 2020. All questions related to Delaware’s Domestic Hemp Production Program should be emailed to DDA_HempProgram@delaware.gov.

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Media Contact: Stacey Hofmann, (302) 698-4542, Stacey.Hofmann@delaware.gov

Media: Images of fire ants can be found at the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.

DOVER, Del. – The Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) is alerting local businesses and purchasers of tropical nursery stock of the recent detection of fire ants in a shipment of palm trees imported from Florida. The red imported fire ants were detected during a routine check at a Sussex County business by DDA’s Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey team. A treatment program was immediately initiated to eliminate the fire ants.

“Buyers of tropical nursery stock – such as palm trees – should carefully inspect their plants for small, aggressive red stinging ants,” said Stephen Hauss, DDA Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey Coordinator. “Red imported fire ants are not known to be established in Delaware. We intend to keep it that way, because they are a threat to human health and the agriculture industry. Quick and prompt reporting to the Department of Agriculture will help keep the imported fire ants from spreading or over-wintering in Delaware.”

Red imported fire ants are small (3-6 mm long) red to reddish brown ants. Mounds can be 18 inches high and three feet across, and have no visible external opening, unlike ant hills. Worker ants can sting repeatedly, and will attack anything that disturbs their mounds or food sources. Stings are very painful, and venom from a fire ant attack can cause a variety of symptoms in humans and animals. Anyone finding a suspicious ant should call DDA’s Plant Industries Section at 302-698-4500 or 800-282-8685 (toll-free for Delaware only).

A federal quarantine is in place for fire ants in part or all of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Puerto Rico, covering more than 367 million acres. The U.S. Department of Agriculture only allows shipments of nursery stock from quarantined states with an inspection certificate.

“We are urging caution on all fronts because of the ability of fire ants to spread quickly and the danger they pose,” said Jessica Inhof, DDA Plant Industries Administrator. “We have had good luck so far keeping the red imported fire ant from becoming established in Delaware. A lot is due to the vigilance of the vendors, and their promptness in reporting and inspecting imported tropical stock.”

Inhof said that anyone who travels in those states should not bring plants or plant material back into Delaware that has not been properly inspected. Plants should be accompanied by a state inspection certificate. In other states, pine straw mulch has been found to harbor red imported fire ants. Nurseries or other vendors should check each shipment received for the proper credentials and inspection certificates.

Imported fire ants pose a hazard to both human and animal health and to agriculture. Young animals and young trees are both susceptible to ant stings, while nests in fields can interfere with cultivation and harvesting. When their nests are disturbed, fire ants can be very aggressive. They will crawl up vertical surfaces, biting and stinging in a swarm. In addition, if red imported fire ants become established, their aggressive habits will negatively impact a wide variety of outdoor recreational activities. More information on red imported fire ants can be found at www.aphis.usda.gov.

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Media Contact: Stacey Hofmann, (302) 698-4542, Stacey.Hofmann@delaware.gov

DOVER, Del. – Early on the Delaware Department of Agriculture dubbed the invasive spotted lanternfly, present in portions of Pennsylvania and found in New Castle County last November, a ‘hitchhiker bug.’ The spotted lanternfly found in Kent County last week hitched a ride down to Dover where she was found dead and reported by a local citizen.

“It’s sort of a misnomer, but spotted lanternflies are not strong flyers; and therefore, do not fly long distances. As a plant hopper, their strength is jumping, which gains them access to their food and to unsuspecting vehicles that can transport them to new locations,” said Jessica Inhof, plant industries administrator for the Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA).

The adult spotted lanternfly is a very distinctive insect that has a black head, black legs, and grey wings with black spots, measuring one inch long and a half an inch when it is at rest. When the spotted lanternfly has its full wing-span out, looking from the underbody, the forewings are a brown-tan with black spots, the hind wings are red with black spots, and the abdomen is yellow with broad black bands that are visible.

After DDA staff found a spotted lanternfly in Wilmington last fall, they have been seeking the assistance of Delawareans to report if they have spotted the insect. The Department launched the “Have You Spotted Me?” campaign early this spring and according to Stephen Hauss, an environmental scientist working on spotted lanternfly, the campaign is working.

“While Delaware is a small state, we cannot be everywhere at once with such a small staff. The community has really helped us in developing our survey areas around locations where they have reported a sighting. We have found properties with spotted lanternflies up in Wilmington, but are working to control those populations,” said Hauss.

The spotted lanternfly is a threat to the state’s agricultural industry, including grapes, peaches, apples, and timber. The insect feeds on sap from trees using its piercing-sucking mouthparts, causing noticeable weeping wounds on susceptible trees, leaving a grayish or black sticky trail along the trunk. This sap will attract other insects to feed, most notably wasps and ants.

“When you look at the Dover find, there are a few key points that help classify this specimen as a hitchhiker,” said Hauss. “First, it is more than 57 miles from where we have found them in New Castle County and they cannot fly that distance. When we brought the insect back for analyzing, we noticed how beat up the body was and how the wings were deteriorated – meaning it could have been attached to a vehicle and was probably dead for some time.” Following the protocol after receiving a report and having a dead insect in hand, Hauss shared that his team completed a delimiting survey where the spotted lanternfly was found and Dover Downs, since the insect was reported following the most recent race weekend. No other insects or signs that spotted lanternflies have inhabited the Dover area were found.

The Delaware Department of Agriculture is encouraging the community to learn more about the spotted lanternfly and how to report a sighting by visiting, https://de.gov/hitchhikerbug. October and November are the timeframe that female spotted lanternflies are known to lay egg masses, which can include 30-50 eggs each. DDA has included a checklist on their website to help residents do a visual inspection of spotted lanternfly hiding spots. Remember to always crush the spotted lanternfly or scrape egg masses before reporting to prevent the spread of this invasive pest.

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Media Contact: Stacey Hofmann, 302-698-4542, Stacey.Hofmann@delaware.gov

Media: Images of fire ants can be found at the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.

DOVER — State authorities are alerting local businesses and purchasers of tropical nursery stock of the recent detection of fire ants in a shipment of palm trees imported from Florida.

The red imported fire ants were detected during a routine check at a Sussex County business by the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Plant Industries nursery inspection team. A Hold and Control Order was promptly issued, and a treatment program to eliminate the fire ants is underway. “Buyers of tropical nursery stock – such as palm trees – should carefully inspect their plants for small, aggressive red stinging ants,” said Stephen Hauss, Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey Coordinator for the Department of Agriculture. “We need these to be reported quickly and promptly to keep them from spreading or staying in Delaware over the winter.”

Red imported fire ants are small (3-6 mm long) red to reddish brown ants. Mounds can be 18 inches high and three feet across, and have no visible external opening, unlike ant hills. Worker ants can sting repeatedly, and will attack anything that disturbs their mounds or food sources. Stings are very painful, and venom from a fire ant attack can cause a variety of symptoms in humans and animals., Anyone finding a suspicious ant should call DDA’s Plant Industries Section at 302-698-4500 or 800-282-8685 (toll-free for Delaware only).

A federal quarantine is in place for fire ants in part or all of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Puerto Rico, covering more than 367 million acres. The U.S. Department of Agriculture only allows shipments of nursery stock from quarantined states with an inspection certificate.

Faith Kuehn, DDA’s Plant Industries Administrator, said that anyone who travels in those states should not bring plants or plant material back into Delaware that has not been properly inspected; plants should be accompanied by a state inspection certificate. Nurseries or other vendors should check each shipment received for the proper credentials and inspection certificates.

“We are urging caution on all fronts because of the ability of fire ants to spread quickly and the danger they pose,” Kuehn said. “We have had good luck so far keeping the Red imported fire ant from becoming established in Delaware, but that depends on prompt reporting and inspections.”

Imported fire ants pose a hazard to both human and animal health and to agriculture. Young animals and young trees are both susceptible to ant stings, while nests in fields can interfere with cultivation and harvesting. When their nests are disturbed, they can be very aggressive, crawling up vertical surfaces and biting and stinging in a swarm. In addition, if Red imported fire ants were to become established in the state, their aggressive habits would have a negative impact on a wide variety of outdoor recreational activities. More information on red imported fire ants can be found at www.aphis.usda.gov.

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Media contact: Stacey Hofmann, 302-698-4542, stacey.hofmann@delaware.gov

Photos of Delaware Department of Agriculture’s surveillance of Emerald Ash Borer can be found on Flickr.

DOVER — Are you helping invasive pests spread in Delaware or around our country? You may have heard that invasive plant pests and diseases are primarily introduced through commercial trade—that’s true. But once they are here, these destructive plant pests don’t move far on their own; they are mostly spread by us. Through our everyday actions—when we take firewood from home to our campsite, mail a gift of homegrown fruits or plants, or order plants, seeds or fruit online from uncertified or uninspected sources—we can contribute to the unintentional spread of any number of destructive plant pests. So when people wonder if their individual actions really matter—the answer is yes.

On a daily basis, our staff is on the lookout for damaging pests like imported fire ants, the Asian Longhorned Beetle, and Ramorum blight. In 2015, imported fire ants were detected during a routine check during an inspection of tropical nursery stock. Fortunately, they were eradicated and no longer pose a threat. We need your help to keep it that way. That’s why it is important for everyone to learn more about these destructive plant pests, take responsibility, and help us stop the spread of invasive species.

It only takes one person to move something they shouldn’t. While they are a strong flyer, it is most likely the emerald ash borer (EAB) beetle hitchhiked into Delaware. And now all of our urban, suburban and rural ash trees are at risk of attack by this devastating pest. And, the risks from EAB stretch well beyond New Castle County and Delaware borders, today EAB infestations are in 30 States.

Invasive plant pests and diseases are a threat in almost every state. If we allow them to enter and become established, these pests could devastate our neighborhoods and public green spaces, and cause damage to native species of plants, forests, watersheds, lakes, rivers and water delivery systems. As it stands today, damage from invasive plant pests costs our nation about $40 billion annually.

To protect our State, we are asking Delawareans to join us in the battle against invasive plant pest and diseases. If you suspect an invasive pest or disease, contact our Plant Industries section at (302) 698-4500. Get acquainted with the hungry pests that would like to dine in Delaware by visiting www.hungrypests.com. This April—Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month—we urge you to help stop the spread of these harmful pests.

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Media Contact: Stacey Hofmann, 302-698-4542, stacey.hofmann@delaware.gov