State To Spray For Invasive Spotted Lanternflies Along Transportation Rights-Of-Way

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

HARRISBURG (KDKA) - The state is trying a new strategy to stop the spread of the invasive spotted lanternfly.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is spraying an insecticide that kills spotted lanternflies along transportation rights-of-way like railways and interstates.

They've already started in the southeast and southcentral parts of the state, saying hatching is further along there. Spraying is most effective when between 75% and 100% of insects have hatched, the state says. The insecticide kills on contact.

The state will hit more places as hatching progresses, and while the insecticide has been "thoroughly researched" and safe for the areas being treated, Pennsylvanians on the hyper-sensitivity registry will get a heads up before their area is sprayed.

In our area, Beaver, Allegheny and Westmoreland counties are under spotted lanternfly quarantine.

"Spotted Lanternflies threaten our quality of life outdoors and destroy valuable products that feed our economy," Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said in a news release. "We are working diligently and strategically to control this pest in ways that are safe for the people, pollinators, plants and animals that share the environment it threatens."

Since 2015, the Department of Agriculture has received $34 million to fight spotted lanternflies in the state.