(TRENTON) – The New Jersey Department of Agriculture has announced that grant funds are available to counties and municipalities to battle the spotted lanternfly (SLF). Interested counties and municipalities may apply to receive funds from the Department. The Murphy Administration, in partnership with the Legislature, has provided funding to the Department to reduce SLF populations and minimize its spread.

A total of up to $50,000 per county, and up to $15,000 per municipality is available on a first-come, first-serve basis for reimbursement of eligible costs incurred for SLF chemical treatment activities. A letter to counties and municipalities, the notice of funds availability, and the application can be found at https://bit.ly/3T5FVrY.

“This is an excellent opportunity for counties and municipalities in New Jersey to take advantage of this funding that can assist them in helping reduce the populations of this pest,” NJDA Secretary Douglas Fisher said. “The more participants we have in this program the stronger our campaign will be against this invasive menace.”

The spotted lanternfly is currently in a nymph stage where it is black with white spots. It will mature into red and black with white spots in its next stage, and then reach its adult stage sometime in August.

In addition to this program, home and business owners can go to www.badbug.nj.gov to find information that includes a timeline for the stages of growth for the insect as well as treatment options. Along with the listed treatment options, residents and businesses can also use licensed pesticide applicators to provide treatments to kill the spotted lanternfly.

While the spotted lanternfly does not harm humans or animals, it can feed on about 70 different types of vegetation or trees. The pest’s preferred host is the Tree of Heaven, an invasive plant that has been in the United States for decades. The spotted lanternfly is native to Asia and was first found in the U.S. in Berks County, Pa., in 2014. It is considered a plant hopper and can fly only a few feet at a time. However, the spotted lanternfly is an excellent hitchhiker and can travel on almost any kind of transportation for several miles, which has caused it to spread to several states.

The Department asks people to check their vehicles whenever possible before leaving an area to make sure the pest is not coming along for the ride. The NJDA has a checklist of items and places on where to look for the spotted lanternfly before leaving an area here. The checklist serves to inform the public about the spotted lanternfly, including how to identify all life stages of the insect and minimize its movement.

###

To learn more about the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NJDeptofAgriculture and www.facebook.com/JerseyFreshOfficial or Twitter @NJDA and @JerseyFreshNJDA.