Harrisburg, December 14, 2016 In conjunction with Penn State Extension, Sen. Judy Schwank has released an instructional video demonstrating how to kill spotted lanternfly eggs. The spotted lanternfly is an invasive pest that state officials worry could damage the state’s grape and wine industries. While most adult spotted lanternflies have frozen to death, their eggs can survive over winter and are viable from about October through July.
In the video, Extension educator Emelie Swackhamer uses a plastic card to remove two egg masses from a bench. The masses are scraped into a sealable plastic bag filled with rubbing alcohol to kill them. Double-bagging the eggs also works. The video is part of a larger segment on the spotted lanternfly for Sen. Schwank’s monthly television show. The segment will air on BCTV on Sundays in January.
Schwank, Democratic Chair of the Senate Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee, cautions anyone scraping eggs to do so safely.
She also applauds efforts between local, state and federal agencies to eradicate the lanternfly.
“Without the partnerships between our townships and boroughs and the state department of agriculture, the spotted lanternfly would surely be a problem in multiple states,” she said. “If you have questions about scraping eggs, please contact your local extension agent.”
The invasive pest was first discovered in Berks County in September 2014. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture mandated quarantine to control its spread now includes several municipalities within Bucks, Chester, Lehigh, Northampton and Montgomery counties. For more information, visit the agriculture department’s website: www.agriculture.pa.gov.
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