The spring shipping season is upon us, and Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) should be one of your top concerns. You are probably well aware of the shipping disruptions that could occur if any life stage of Spotted Lanternfly is found on outbound deliveries from NJ growers.
No doubt many of you heeded the NJ Dept. of Agriculture’s recommendations last fall and implemented control measures to prevent the spread of neighboring infestations into your nursery or greenhouse facility. To the extent that those efforts might have come up short, you would be well advised to begin scouting and removing any egg masses (and adult carcasses) from your crops – especially as items are being loaded for shipment. Otherwise, you run the risk of contaminated shipments being fully rejected by the vigorous inspections that are planned at out-of-state retail and landscape destinations this season.
Even though you may disagree with these measures, be advised that it remains within the discretion of any state to impose crippling load-by-load phytosanitary requirements on future deliveries.
Load-rejections that occurred last fall underscore the seriousness of the Spotted Lanternfly situation and the far-reaching impact it might have on your business and the NJ industry at large.
Additionally, Spotted Lanternfly training permits are required for each company driver who delivers your plants out-of-state. This training is relatively simple and available online by clicking here.
Rutgers University
State University of New Jersey