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Dover, Del. – The Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) announced today that they are quarantining eleven zip codes in New Castle County to eradicate, control, and prevent the spread of spotted lanternfly in Delaware and to surrounding states.

The spotted lanternfly is a destructive invasive plant hopper that attacks many hosts including trees, shrubs, orchards, grapes, and hops. The insect is detrimental to Delaware’s agricultural industry, forests, and residential areas. Due to quarantines in other states, interstate commerce will be impacted if the pest is transported out of the Delaware quarantine area.

“We understand this quarantine will impact businesses and homeowners; however, it is required if we have any chance to control this non-native, destructive pest. With the hatching of egg masses and the presence of adult lanternflies, the population has grown and requires treatment and control efforts,” said Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse. “The impact of this pest to Delaware is large with 8 billion dollars of Delaware’s economic activity related to agriculture. When you look at our orchards and vineyards, nursery and landscaping industry, and forestland and timber sales, you are looking at more than 1.9 billion dollars alone. Delaware has a lot to lose if we do not gain control over the spotted lanternfly.”

The following zip codes in New Castle County have been quarantined in their entirety: 19702, 19703, 19707, 19711, 19801, 19802, 19803, 19805, 19807, 19809, and 19810. The quarantine can expand if there is reason to believe that the pest has moved to a non-quarantined area. A quarantine means that any material or object that could harbor the pest cannot be moved without taking precautions to prevent the spread.

The female spotted lanternfly lays egg masses of 30 to 50 eggs wherever it chooses, especially on flat surfaces. All other life stages of this insect from nymphs to adults can fly, hop, or drop onto a vehicle – meaning that this pest can easily be transported to new areas where it can create another infestation.

Examples of regulated articles include:

• Any living life stage of the spotted lanternfly
• Landscaping, remodeling, or construction materials
• Firewood of any species
• Packing materials (e.g. wood crates, boxes)
• All plants and plant parts including all live and dead trees, perennial and annual plants, and mulch
• Outdoor household articles like RVs, lawnmowers, chairs, grills, tarps, tile, stone, deckboards, and other vehicles not stored indoors.

In order to move regulated items, the general public will need to complete a residential compliance checklist indicating that you inspected and know that no living life stage of the spotted lanternfly is present on the articles. The checklist is available online at https://de.gov/hitchhikerbug.

“We have the advantage right now that spotted lanternfly nymphs will not hatch until April and May. We are asking residents to go to our website and download a copy of the compliance checklist,” said DDA Plant Industries Administrator Jessica Inhof. “Then take the time to check all the items you have on the list for egg masses. If you find them, scrape them off into a bag filled with alcohol or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and crush them to destroy the eggs. You will help Delaware to reduce the potential damage that these pests could inflict this spring and summer.”

Any person conducting business for a commercial business, municipalities, or a government agency that requires movement of any regulated item within or from the quarantine area must have a permit, available through the DDA spotted lanternfly website. 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. Training of other employees, inspection of vehicle and products, and removal of living stages of spotted lanternfly must be completed. The permit demonstrates the individual understands how to identify the pest and can ensure the items transported are not carrying the insect.

For more detailed information regarding the emergency quarantine, permitting, treatment, or to report a sighting of spotted lanternfly, visit the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s dedicated spotted lanternfly webpage at https://de.gov/hitchhikerbug or call the dedicated spotted lanternfly hotline at (302) 698-4632. When leaving a message, leave your contact information and, if reporting a sighting, please provide the location of the sighting.

The initial Delaware detection of spotted lanternfly was in Wilmington in the fall of 2017. In 2018, DDA Plant Industries inspectors along with USDA staff conducted surveys around the area where the initial detection was found. The surveys demonstrated that spotted lanternfly had multiple established populations in northern New Castle County.

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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

HARRINGTON, Del. — The Delaware Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program will hold its 8^th Annual Delaware Arborist and Tree Care Seminar on Wednesday, October 10, and Thursday, October 11, 2018 at the Delaware State Fair Exhibit Hall, 18500 S. DuPont Highway, Harrington.

The event offers a wide range of topics for tree care workers as well as anyone who wants to ensure the health of their community trees. The event brings together a diverse blend of industry insiders, policymakers, tree care experts, and academic researchers who will incorporate classroom lectures, outdoor demonstrations and vendor exhibits to provide the latest updates on tree health issues and practical hands-on training. Attendees are eligible to earn continuing credits from the International Society of Arboriculture, Maryland Licensed Tree Expert, and Delaware pesticide certification. 

The cost is $95 for two days with breakfast, lunch and snacks included each day. All major credit cards accepted. Attendees can sign up by clicking the “Online Registration” icon at http://delawaretrees.com or registering at EventBrite link.

The 2018 seminar will focus on the latest issues and strategies in tree pest and disease management, soil health, chainsaw safety, proper pesticide use, utility line pruning, sustainable planting techniques, and updates on forest health threats from emerald ash borer and the newest invasive pest: spotted lanternfly. Featured speakers include Jerry Bond of Urban Forest Analytics LLC, Neil Hendrickson, Ph.D. of Bartlett Tree Research Lab, Bob Dolan of Rainbow Tree Care, Kenneth Glass of STIHL, Jake Ricker of Baker’s Power and Turf, and Trent Dicks of Arborjet.

If you need more information or are interested in becoming a sponsor, contact Kesha Braunskill or Michael Martini with the Delaware Forest Service Urban & Community Forestry Program at 302-659-6704.
 
Platinum Sponsor:
Garden State Bobcat

Gold Sponsors:
Baker’s Power and Turf
Rainbow Treecare
STIHL
TCIA

Silver Sponsors:
American Arborist
Arborjet
Iron Source
Vermeer

Exhibitors:
DDA Plant Industries
Delaware Invasive Species Council
Delaware Urban & Community Forestry Council

2018 Arborist & Tree Care Program Agenda (Link to PDF)

DOVER – In late-June, Delaware’s forests get an annual “physical” or “check-up” – just after spring’s “leaf-out” blankets the state in a wave of green color. Just as people should visit the doctor to be screened for potential diseases, trees are examined with a variety of tools to hopefully spot minor issues before they turn into major ones.

Armed with a digital camera, GPS technology, and a tablet equipped with specialized software and satellite data, forest health specialist Bill Seybold boards a small plane for a sky-high view of the First State. The annual aerial survey is specifically designed to detect potential threats that can only be seen from the air.

For a total of 10 hours over three days in late-June, he carefully scans the forest canopy below him for areas of defoliation or discoloration: maybe oaks succumbing to a gypsy moth outbreak, or brown evergreens that could signal a potential southern pine beetle (SPB) infestation. A GPS tool linked to the tablet lets Seybold compare previous year’s maps to what he’s seeing now, as well as mark suspicious areas for further inspection and ground sampling.

Fortunately, early results from the 2018 aerial forest survey indicate no major outbreaks of tree diseases or insect pests. “No news is good news” could be an apt expression for forest health issues: a 20-acre stand previously affected by SPB along the Delaware Bay has not grown in size.   A three-acre outbreak of gypsy moth in Glasgow Park in New Castle County also seems to be contained. However, the aerial survey is just one tool the Delaware Forest Service uses to stay alert to what seems like an endless list of potential threats.

The agency currently monitors traps for walnut twig beetle (Pityophthorus juglandis), a vector for thousand cankers disease in black walnuts that was previously detected in Maryland. Forestry staff are also on the lookout for emerald ash borer  (Agrilus planipennis) or EAB, a tree-killing insect that has destroyed millions of ashes across the United States, which was found in Delaware at a single purple panel trap in New Castle County in 2016. First discovered in the U.S. Michigan in 2002, EAB has now spread to 33 states. In addition to standard lure traps, staff also use a ground-nesting wasp (Cerceris fumipennis) found in baseball infields as a bio-surveillance tool to look for EAB nearby.

Other diseases include bacterial leaf scorch, an infection that primarily affects red oak species, and Asian long-horned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) or ALB, which primarily affects maple species, followed by elm and willow. Red maple is the most numerous tree in Delaware, so ALB could cause widespread damage if it was found in the First State. Newer threats are also emerging such as spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) or SLF, a tree pest found in Pennsylvania in 2014 that has been detected in nearby states, including Delaware in 2017. SLF poses a major threat to agricultural crops such as grapes, peaches, apples, and timber.

With the help of information and online resources, the public can play an important part in helping forest health professionals like Seybold do their work more effectively. For instance, people can learn how to identify spotted lanternfly at http://de.gov/hitchhikerbug and then use links on the site to report a possible sighting. By tracking and monitoring pests early, state officials might be able to mobilize a more rapid response.

The aerial survey is a key part of early detection, one tactic in a multi-pronged management strategy designed to keep forest threats – both native and non-native – at bay. For example, loblolly pine is one of the First State’s most commercially important trees, dominating the sandy Coastal Plain topography of Southern Delaware. Pine is most at risk for southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis), a native insect pest known as “one of the most destructive pests of southern pine forests.”

In a sign of potential shifts in long-term climate patterns, other Northeastern states have also gone on the alert against SPB. Rarely seen north of Delaware, SPB gained a foothold in the New Jersey Pinelands in 2010. And for the first time, New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed the presence of SPB in Long Island this year. Fortunately, Delaware has been vigilant in looking for early signs of an SPB outbreak and then cutting out the affected trees in a suitable perimeter to hold off movement to adjacent pines – an approach that has paid off so far.

Though SPB populations originally build up in stressed, overly dense, or damaged pine stands, once the population is at outbreak levels, it will move right through healthy pines. In the past several years, small areas of trees affected by SPB were found near Assawoman Bay and north of Lewes, possibly due to reduced tree vigor from salt water intrusion. Early detection and removal of infested trees can stop SPB populations from building up and moving through pine stands.

The annual aerial survey is also linked with other tools such as the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Disturbance Monitor (FDM), a sort of “smoke alarm” for potential forest health issues. It compares satellite data from several years and averages seasonal variation in green-up and forest loss to alert specialists such as Seybold to possible issues. Sometimes the “disturbance” might be due to commercial or residential land development, timber harvesting, or some other cause. The FDM is reviewed once every two weeks throughout the growing season, however, the aerial survey is usually done once per year in late-June, and is the only way to visually confirm the health of the state’s forest canopy.