The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has expanded the quarantine zone, created to halt the spread of the invasive spotted lantern fly. With the latest expansion, the state has shifted to imposing quarantines at the county, rather than municipal, level and including areas where the insect’s presence has not yet been confirmed but there’s a high risk of spread. The quarantine area now covers 13 entire counties: Berks, Bucks, Chester, Carbon, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, and Schuylkill. “This invasive insect threatens to destroy $18 billion worth of agricultural commodities here like apples, grapes and hardwoods, inflicting a devastating impact on the livelihoods of our producers and businesses,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. Businesses in the quarantine area …
