The highly invasive spotted lanternfly is a pest of concern for both ornamental plants and agriculture. This voracious leafhopper is migrating from its original infestation area in Pennsylvania toward Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia, damaging trees, ornamental plants, and agricultural crops. This free webinar offered through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will review the environmental and economic challenges of the spotted lanternfly infestation, present the latest data on their range, and discuss ways to prevent and control this pest, particularly in the grape industry.
This webinar will be offered March 14 from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET). This presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session. This webinar will feature three speakers, Phillip Lewis with the USDA, Dan Olmstead with the New York IPM Program, and Michela Centinari with Penn State University.
Participants will:
- Learn where these insects like to gather and their distribution across the U.S.
- Understand what occurs with infestation and how the lanternfly attacks trees, ornamental plants, and other high value crops, such as grapes.
- Gain knowledge about various integrated pest management (IPM) control methods, including physical removal, host plant elimination, and safe use of pesticides.
You will need to preregister for this webinar. Attendees can earn continuing education credits (CEU credits) for all of these sessions from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture by registering and participating; these credits can be used toward renewal of your commercial pesticide certification.
By Ric Bessin, Entomology Extension Specialist
Kentucky Pest News 
