BALTIMORE COUNTY - The Maryland State Department of Agriculture has expanded the quarantine areas for the Spotted Lantern Fly, effective immediately.
Counties subject to the quarantine are highlighted in the map below:
Credit: Maryland Department of AgricultureThe spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is an invasive species native to eastern Asia. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it is considered destructive to agriculture and feeds on grapes, orchards, and wood.
Adults are about 2.5 cm (1 inch) in length. (Credit: Lawrence Barringer, PA Dept of Agriculture, Bugwood.org./ Maryland Department of Agriculture)The species was first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014 and Maryland in 2018. Since its initial detection in Cecil county, the bug has spread to Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Caroline, Carroll, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Kent, Montgomery, Prince George's, Queen Anne's, Talbot, Wicomico, and Washington counties and Baltimore city.
Within the quarantine area, which now encompasses almost all of Maryland, individuals transporting "regulated articles" are required to obtain a permit before moving from or within the zone.
Anyone found transporting regulated articles without a permit will be subject to a civil penalty from the Department of Agriculture.
The list of regulated articles, the definition of persons required to obtain permits, and the parameters of the civil penalty can be found in the text of the Secretary of Agriculture's quarantine order here.
Additionally, If you find a Spotted Lanternfly, submit your findings with a photo here.
If I, as a homeowner in Baltimore County, want to take some leaf debris, branches, etc to the Cockeysville Dump (also in Baltimore County), am I supposed to get a permit ???? I understand if you are bringing in or taking out items from non-quarantined areas, that this could retard the spread of lanternfly infestation, but how does moving material within a quarantined area reduce the infestation?? Sounds to me like another bureaucratic intrusion into our lives. Thanks Wes Moore
Sunny, with a high of 58 and low of 38 degrees. Sunny for the morning, clear overnight.
Stop committing crimes. Johnny Equity is on the way to save the day! Expect a long-winded response that does nothing.
38° and Overcast