Spotted lanternfly has spread across all of Ohio

By Allison Kinney, Ohio Ag Net

If you’ve noticed strange black-and-white insects hopping around your yard this summer, you’re not alone. The spotted lanternfly, an invasive pest that has steadily spread across Ohio in recent years, is now established statewide.

“The spotted lanternfly is an invasive insect. It is native to Asia, worked its way to the United States, and then worked its way into Ohio,” said Brian Baldridge, director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. “About 2021 is when we first started seeing it.”

As populations increased, Ohio expanded quarantine areas from 14 counties to 32 counties. Today, the entire state falls under a spotted lanternfly quarantine. One reason the insect has spread so successfully is its ability to travel unnoticed. Baldridge describes the spotted lanternfly as a “hitchhiker” that frequently catches rides on vehicles, railcars, and other equipment.

“If you look at when it got to the United States, and kind of worked its way through Pennsylvania into Ohio, it was along the rail spurs,” Baldridge said.… Continue reading