SLF Quarantine in Two OH Counties

JC Chong

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) imposed a spotted lanternfly quarantine on Jefferson and Cuyahoga Counties in eastern Ohio on October 28. The quarantine restricts movement of plant materials, equipment and other items from infested counties in Ohio and other states.

Individuals moving applicable items from the quarantined counties are asked to conduct a self-inspection for insects and eggs, and fill out a self-inspection checklist. Applicable items on the checklist include live or dead plants, and plant parts (including lumber and mulch), outdoor industrial and construction materials, equipment and waste, shipping and storage containers, outdoor household items, conveyances (cars, trucks, etc.), agricultural equipment, and children’s outdoor playthings. These are items that may be left outdoors for an extended period of time and may harbor egg masses.

Arborists, loggers, nursery growers and other plant industry professionals interested in moving certain products out of the quarantined counties as part of their commercial activities may need to be covered by a compliance agreement. Those interested in the compliance agreement are asked to contact ODA at agri.ohio.gov or call (614) 728-6400 for more information.

There’s no doubt that spotted lanternfly is spreading. The infestation was detected in Jefferson County in October 2020 and in Cuyahoga County in September 2021. The latest infestation was detected in Massachusetts. Currently, quarantine is imposed in several counties in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The New York State IPM website (nysipm.cornell.edu/environment/invasive-species-exotic-pests/spotted-lanternfly) has lots of great spotted lanternfly information. GT