Latest news with #OhioDepartmentofAgriculture
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Quarantine area expanded for invasive insect
(WKBN) — The quarantine area for the spotted lanternfly has expanded once again — this time to include Trumbull County. The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) recently expanded the spotted lanternfly (SLF) quarantine to include counties in northeast and northwest Ohio to reduce the spread of the invasive insect. The six new counties now under quarantine are: Wood, Seneca, Summit, Portage, Trumbull and Carroll counties. The updated quarantine is a result of several new infestations reported through ODA's online Ohio Plant Pest Reporter. This brings the number of counties under quarantine in the state up to 18 — including Mahoning and Columbiana, which were already on the list. 'The spotted lanternfly is an invasive pest that is known to cause harm to Ohio's agricultural industry,' ODA Director Brian Baldridge said. 'We appreciate community members stepping up to report this insect when it is found. With their help, our experts can more efficiently identify SLF, treat it, and work to protect the abundant plant life we have here in Ohio.' The spotted lanternfly is an insect native to Asia that is a pest of grapes, hops and apples, along with many other species of plants. This pest is specifically a concern for Ohio's grape and wine industry, which contributes more than $6 billion in economic activity to the state yearly. The pesky insect was first detected in the U.S. in Pennsylvania in 2014. It was likely brought to the U.S. by imported goods, according to ODA. The first confirmation in Ohio was in Mingo Junction in 2020. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Spotted lanternflies about to hatch: How to get rid of them
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — An invasive species is set to return to Ohio in the coming days, threatening crops in the state. The spotted lanternfly was first reported in the United States in 2014 in Pennsylvania, and has since traveled westward, making it to the Buckeye state by 2020. This invasive species come from Asia, where it is a native species. Invasive, damaging spotted lanternfly getting ready to emerge. Kill them. One of their many food sources includes grapes — a $6.6 billion dollar industry in the state. As eggs are set to hatch in the coming days, the spotted lanternfly's presence in Ohio could endanger profits. 'They insert a stylet into the flume system, the vascular system of the tree, and they basically drink sap,' said Dr. Don Cipollini, Wright State University biology professor. Cipollini says by drinking that sap, lanternflies can harm trees by robbing the plants of their nutrients. 'If you have a large infestation on a relatively small tree, say a grapevine or a small sapling of a maple or an ornamental tree in your backyard, they can really do a number, and more or less drain the plant of all the carbohydrates it's trying to acquire through photosynthesis,' said Cipollini. The Ohio Department of Agriculture cannot eradicate the species, so they have been educating farmers, including winemakers, on how to prevent infestations with insecticides. 'It is susceptible to some chemical treatment,' said Jonathan Shields, Ohio Department of Agriculture agriculture inspector manager. 'A lot of the growers already have treatment regimes that they undertake each year just as part of their regular practices and they can be pretty effective at knocking down spotted lanternfly populations.' Officials want you to destroy these mud-like masses 'before they hatch' 'They're just these brown dirt-like masses that suddenly appear on a tree or a wall or a fence that you just have no explanation for otherwise,' said Cipollini. 'If you sort of scrape that away, you can see that there are eggs in there. And if you do see that, that's exactly what you should do. You should scrape them off, smash them.' The Miami Valley is not located in a quarantine zone for the insect, and the ODA encourages you to report any sightings to them. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Invasive insect's eggs to hatch before May
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — An invasive insect is returning to Ohio. Officials are asking Ohioans to keep their eyes peeled for the spotted lanternfly, a pretty but destructive invasive insect. The spotted lanternfly was first identified in the Buckeye State in 2020. It's an invasive plant hopper that can easily be mistaken for a butterfly. Columbus launches multi-lingual, video enhanced 911 system According to the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Franklin County was among 12 counties in the state under quarantine for the spotted lanternfly last year. It was also among six counties in the state with high infestation rates. Brian Heath, district manager for Davey Tree, said he anticipates this year will be even worse. The spotted lanternfly's biggest food source is the tree of heaven, but it's also known to feed on grapes, hops, stone fruits and other agriculturally important plants. The National Phenology Network's spotted lanternfly forecast projects eggs will hatch in central Ohio within the next week or so, with adults expected to emerge in about two months. 'If you see the egg mass on the tree, which kind of looks like mud or bubblegum that might be stuck to the tree, you can scrape that off and dispose of it, put it in a bag with some rubbing alcohol or something like that to make sure that it kills it,' Heath said. Ohio University composts nearly 100% of campus food waste Spotted lanternflies lay their eggs wherever they can on things like trees, bushes and patio furniture. When they eat, they produce a fluid called honeydew, which can be attractive to flies and wasps and can further damage plants. 'That falls on to leaves or anything below the tree, could be pavement, concrete, patios, things like that,' Heath said. 'When people are going to notice this is either when they touch it and it's sticky, or when it turns black because of sooty mold, which is a fungus.' According to Heath, being proactive is key. He suggests calling in an expert for preventative treatment before eggs begin hatching. Despite setbacks, businesses, leaders confident Intel project will thrive 'It would be, you know, a certified technician coming out and most likely injecting a systemic insecticide into the soil, which then gets taken up into the tree,' Heath said. 'So when the spotted lanternfly tries to feed on the tree, it basically will poison it and it'll die.' Spotted lanternflies are also known to be hitchhikers. They can't fly, but they can jump and climb. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources recommends taking your car through the car wash before traveling, especially if you find yourself in an area that's highly infested. Anyone who finds a spotted lanternfly is encouraged to squash it and report it to the Ohio Department of Agriculture. To report a sighting, visit this link. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Yahoo
Look: Suspected serval captured wandering loose in Ohio
April 2 (UPI) -- A suspected African serval cat spotted wandering loose in Ohio was safely captured, local authorities said. The Washington County Sheriff's Office issued a public alert Monday warning residents of a suspected serval, an exotic cat native to Africa, spotted wandering loose in Warren Township. Sheriff Mark Warden confirmed the serval was located and safely captured later Monday. The Ohio Department of Agriculture is now investigating the escape. "The cat is no longer loose, however, we are still working to confirm the breed of cat," the department said in a statement to The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. Servals are not legal to keep as pets in Ohio, as they are classified as dangerous wild animals. Savannah cats, hybrids of servals and domestic cats, are not covered by the same classification and are legal to keep in the state.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio Department of Agriculture celebrates National Agriculture Month
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Ohio Department of Agriculture celebrated National Agriculture Month on Friday with a Supermarket Showdown. Local leaders raced through the aisles of the Kroger in Plain City. They had a limited amount of time to fill their shopping carts with 'Ohio Proud' products that are at least 50% raised, grown, or processed in the state. 'Ohio Proud' has nearly 400 partners across the state, representing a diverse agricultural landscape that makes up Ohio's number one industry. Leaders said the fun competition was centered around promoting the importance of buying local. Business helps local theatre after grant money frozen 'Agriculture in our great state of Ohio is our number one industry,' ODA Director Brian Baldridge said. '$124 billion industry food and agriculture, so it's our ability to lift that up and talk about how important it is to support our local farmers here in our local communities.' Items were weighed in at the end to determine who gathered the most. All of the food collected by shoppers will be donated to the Plain City Food Pantry. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
