Changes have been made to Virginia’s spotted lanternfly (SLF) quarantine area that all farmers should be aware of, and plan to address as part of their operation. The SLF is a destructive agricultural pest that was first detected in Virginia in January 2018. It is an invasive planthopper that first showed up in the U.S. in Pennsylvania in 2014. The SLF can feed on over 100 plant species and is a known pest of grapes, maples, walnuts, cucumbers, peaches, hops, apples, basil and other important crops. The purpose of the quarantine area is to stop the human-assisted spread of the pest and to protect Virginia’s agriculture industry.

On July 8, 2022, VDACS’ Commissioner Guthrie expanded the Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine area to include the counties of Albemarle, Augusta, Carroll, Clarke, Frederick, Page, Prince William, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Warren and Wythe Counties, and the Cities of Buena Vista, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Lynchburg, Manassas, Manassas Park, Staunton, Waynesboro and Winchester.

Businesses in the quarantined area are required to complete a training ($6) and obtain a permit from VDACS and perform self-inspections on all regulated articles leaving the quarantined area to ensure that the articles do not contain any life stage of the spotted lanternfly.

Regulated articles are items considered to be a risk for the movement of spotted lanternfly to un-infested areas and include, but are not limited to:

• Any life stage of the spotted lanternfly;
• Live or dead trees; nursery stock; green lumber; firewood; logs; perennial plants; garden plants or produce; stumps; branches; mulch; or composted or un-composted chips, bark, or yard waste;
• Outdoor industrial or construction materials or equipment; concrete barriers or structures; stone, quarry material, ornamental stone, or concrete; or construction, landscaping, or remodeling waste;
• Shipping containers, such as wood crates or boxes;
• Outdoor household articles, including recreational vehicles; lawn tractors or mowers; grills; grill or furniture covers; tarps; mobile homes; tile; stone; deck boards; or
• Any equipment, trucks, or vehicles not stored indoors; any means of conveyance utilized for movement of an article; any vehicle; or any trailer, wagon.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will honor other state-issued Spotted Lanternfly permits. To obtain your Spotted Lanternfly permit through Virginia, you must submit proof that the Spotted Lanternfly Permit Training, or equivalent training, was completed along with the Spotted Lanternfly Permit Application.

Spotted Lanternfly Resources for Farmers & Foresters

• What is Spotted Lanternfly
• Spotted Lanternfly in Virginia
• Mosca Linterna con Manchas (Spotted Lanternfly) en Viñedos de Virginia (pdf)
• Alerta de plagas – Mosca linterna con manchas (Lycorma delicatula) (pdf)
• Look-A-Likes (pdf)
• How to Identify Tree of Heaven a Favorite Host of Spotted Lanternfly (pdf)
• Map of Spotted Lanternfly locations in the United States

Management & Treatment of Spotted Lanternfly

• General Treatment Information (pdf)
• Best Management Practices for Spotted Lanternfly in Yards and Landscapes (pdf)
• Homeowner Tips and Inspection Check Sheet (pdf)
• Best Management Practices for/in Vineyards (pdf)
• Best Management Practices for Businesses (pdf)
• How to Manage Tree of Heaven a Favorite Host of Spotted Lanternfly (pdf)

Training & Permitting

• Virginia Spotted Lanternfly Permit Brochure (pdf)
• Spotted Lanternfly Permit Training (cost $6)
• Spotted Lanternfly Permit Application (pdf)
• Sample Inspection Statement (pdf)
• List of Spotted Lanternfly Permit Holders (pdf)

VDACS SLF Contact
spottedlanternfly@vdacs.virginia.gov
804-786-3515

Frequently Asked Questions

How quickly will folks need to get permitted once the area expands?

• The quarantine is effective now and businesses will need to be permitted prior to moving articles out of the quarantine. Begin the process of training and permitting as soon as feasible.

When/how will VDACS enforce permitting?

• VDACS performs regulatory follow-ups with businesses in the quarantined areas. This typically includes site visits, record requests (does the business have the permit? does the business have training records for their staff? is the business inspecting the articles prior to them leaving the quarantine?) and the VDACS staff member will verify this information. VDACS performs these throughout the year if they learn of a business not complying with the provisions of the quarantine, but during the late spring-fall, they are actively performing treatments and perform more of these permitting inspections in the fall-early spring. 

What are the consequences for not being permitted?

• The VA SLF Quarantine does not have fines associated with non-compliance, however if a business does not obtain a permit and is not following the quarantine, a VDACS staff member may stop the movement of all articles being moved. Additionally, if a business does not obtain a permit, and they are transporting articles to another state that does not have spotted lanternfly, they may be stopped from entry or fined, if that state has an exterior quarantine for spotted lanternfly.

Do I need a permit to move products within my county?

• If a business is only moving within a quarantined area, they are not required to obtain a permit. It’s only when they move articles outside of a quarantined area into non-quarantined areas that they would be required to obtain a permit. Businesses and individuals are still required to inspect articles and ensure they are free of spotted lanternfly life stages when moving within the quarantine.