#Invasive bug forces additional quarantine restrictions in New Jersey

Enlarge Image

A close-up of a Spotted Lanternfly as it spreads its wings.
Getty Images/iStockphoto

As if a pandemic weren’t enough, swaths of New Jersey are now under additional quarantine restrictions due to an invasive insect.

The spotted lanternfly is not a threat to humans or animals, but it is known to feed on over 70 plant species — and the pest has now been spotted in multiple counties.

To avoid the bug spreading further, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture has put eight New Jersey counties — Warren, Hunterdon, Mercer, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Salem and Somerset — under quarantine. Residents and visitors to the eight counties are urged to check their cars for the bugs, which are known to hitchhike.

“The spotted lanternfly is a plant hopper and can only fly short distances. However, it is an excellent hitchhiker and has been known to ride on any kind of transportation,” the NJ Department of Agriculture wrote in a press release. “The department asks that anyone who travels in a quarantined county do a quick inspection of their vehicle for the spotted lanternfly before leaving.”

Spotted lanternflies are native to China and South Korea, but hitched their way to the US in 2014, arriving on a shipment and infesting Berks County, Pa. “The species has been advancing ever since,” according to the release and 26 counties in Pennsylvania are under quarantine orders as a result.

“We have been working diligently to slow the advance of this bug,” said New Jersey Agriculture Secretary Douglas Fisher, adding that teams are hunting the insect, and residents are encouraged “to destroy” the bug if they see it. “It will take a combined effort to help keep this pest from spreading.”

Residents who have infestations are encouraged to use a specific assortment of treatment options which does not include sticky traps, which can accidentally harm other wildlife.