The New Jersey Department of Agriculture has announced that grant funds are available to counties and municipalities to combat the spotted lanternfly (SLF) from 2024 to 2026. Interested parties may apply for funds from the Department. The Murphy Administration, in collaboration with the Legislature, has provided funding aimed at reducing SLF populations and limiting its spread.
Up to $50,000 per county and up to $20,000 per municipality is available on a first-come, first-served basis for reimbursement of eligible costs incurred for SLF chemical treatment activities. Details about the funding opportunity, including a letter to counties and municipalities, notice of funds availability, and application forms can be accessed at https://bit.ly/3T5FVrY.
“We were pleased that many counties and municipalities took advantage of this funding opportunity in 2023," NJDA Assistant Secretary Joe Atchison III said. "The expanded time frame for this funding will allow for an extended application opportunity, especially in areas where this threat may appear for the first time. The more participants we have in the program increases the chances of significantly reducing the populations of this invasive pest.”
While adult spotted lanternflies cannot survive winter temperatures, they lay egg masses that endure through winter and hatch in late April or early May. The Department urges the public to look for and scrape egg masses with a credit card or hard-edged object when possible. Each egg mass contains approximately 50 nymphs set to emerge in spring.
Further information on how to scrape egg masses and other details about the spotted lanternfly can be found at www.badbug.nj.gov.
