It's a Team's Life

Don't Get Bugged

Just recently some really good friends of ours were in Virginia to deliver a load.  They had a two stop drop off one in Winchester and Manassas and were parked at the first for the night to deliver in the morning.  This is when they started seeing Spotted Lanternflies.  Tons of them, and started to kill them.  That got us thinking we had not seen any articles or new information recently.

The Sotted Lanternfly is indigenous to parts China and is a planthopper insect.  It lives off of grapes and fruit trees.  It was first spotted in the United States in September 2014 in Pennsylvania.   As of March 2022, Pennsylvania has over 40 of their 67 counties in quarantine for this “bug”.

Source: PA Department of Agriculture

This bug is now also in the following states besides Pennsylvania:  Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. They seem to be spreading really fast since first being spotted in Pennsylvania.

Source: Cornell University dated 24 Aug 2022

What should you do if you see one, kill it.  We deliver a lot loads in Pennsylvania and have killed our fair share of this insect.  Pennsylvania has a training program (that you receive a permit) and a form you have to fill out every time you stop in one of the quarantine counties.  It is required that all commercial vehicles check the vehicle and fill this form out.  The form has multiple stops on it so makes it easy to fill out.  We then have to submit that form with our load paperwork to our carrier.

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Above picture was taken by our good friends in Winchester, VA.

Sandy & Stephen

Pinch Hitting for TeamCaffee