Greene County added to Pennsylvania spotted lanternfly quarantine list WPXI [Video]

PITTSBURGH — A Western Pennsylvania County has been added to the list of counties across Pennsylvania quarantined because of confirmed populations of spotted lanternflies.

Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding on Friday announced that Greene County was added to the quarantine list. He’s encouraging residents to destroy lanternfly eggs over the next couple of weeks before they hatch.

“There’s still time to help get rid of lanternflies before they hatch,” Redding said in a statement. “As you clean up your yard or enjoy these early spring days, every egg mass you scrape and squash means 30-50 pests won’t hatch in May.”

The quarantine prohibits moving lanternflies and infested items, like firewood and debris. It also requires businesses or people who travel for business in and out of quarantined counties to get a permit.

The invasive spotted lanternflies were first discovered in the U.S. in Berks County in 2014, and their spread threatens food …