Spongy Moth & Other Pests – Snyder County, PA Government

October 12, 2023: Spongy Moth Info Meeting Join the Union & Snyder County Conservation Districts and PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR) for an informative meeting on how to prepare your woods and forestland for next year's anticipated spongy moth infestation at the Shade Mountain Winery (16140 Route 104, Middleburg) on Thursday, October 12, from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Please reserve your seat as soon as possible by calling the Union County Conservation District at 570-837-3860 by Thursday, October 5.

Overview

Below we have provided information and resources on various pests local to the area and how to manage them.

Spotted Lanternfly

Spotted lanternfly adult (left) and nymph (right). Courtesy of Lawrence Barringer, Entomologist, PDA

As of 2023, a quarantine is in place for fifty-one (51) Pennsylvania counties to try to stop the movement of the Spotted Lanternfly, including Snyder County. This pest is a native of China and has been found in our area. The destructive insect feeds on a variety of plants including grapes, apples, peaches, ailanthus, willow, hops and certain ornamental plants.

Snyder County is currently within the PA quarantine zone. Regardless of location within or outside the quarantine zone, all Pennsylvania residents and guests are asked to do their part in controlling this pest. For more information on this pest go to the links below:

If you see this pest, report it immediately online (PA Dept. of Ag) or call 1-888-4BADFLY.

Spongy Moth

In some locations within Snyder County, people are noticing a forest pest not seen in large numbers for over 10 years with a new name: spongy moth, formally known as gypsy moth.

In years past, the Snyder County Conservation District was asked to conduct egg mass surveys to determine the severity of infestations for potential state financial assisted spraying. However, no spray control program for private landowners exists currently.

For more information, or you suspect that you have gypsy moth caterpillars or egg masses, leave a message with the DCNR’s Bald Eagle State Forest District office near Laurelton at (570) 922-3344 regarding spongy moths and other forest pests. You can also visit DCNR’s spongy moth webpage and learn more about this pest and potential control.

Other Forest Insect Pest Identification

There are other caterpillar pests that can cause problems in local woodlands. Many presume that what they see is the spongy (formally known as “gypsy”) moth in its larval stage. However, that may not be the case. Please check out this write up with photos here .

For more information regarding these pests, please call the DCNR Bureau of Forestry office near Laurelton (along PA Route 45) at (570) 922-3344.

Invasive Plants

There are many trees, shrubs, grasses and other plants that are not native and are invasive to Pennsylvania. While some can be “tamed,” many need to be managed with great care and planning.

Some Conservation District staff are familiar with some of invasive plants. However, there are other groups that are far more knowledgeable. Below are a list of links and contacts related to these troublesome plants.