It’s official: the invasive Spotted lanternfly has made its way to North Carolina. Ever since the destructive pest was found near Kernersville in late July, the NCDA&CS Plant Industry team, North Carolina Forest Service and USDA-APHIS-PPQ have been hard at...
Click here to listen to Commissioner Troxler speak to Southern Farm Network's Mike Davis about the detection We have made our first discovery of an established presence of the spotted lanternfly in North Carolina. Initial surveys indicate the known...
People are out working in their yards more and likely will see bees buzzing about pollinating plants. It is also the time of year when people start to see common North Carolina bees, wasps and hornets. Eastern cicada killer wasps, European Hornets and Carpenter bees are a few common ones. While these are large insects, […]
The sun is shining and the bees are buzzing – but not the Asian Giant Hornets. As the weather gets warmer and insects like bees and wasps become more active, NCDA&CS has seen an uptick in calls from people who believe they have seen an Asian Giant Hornet, colloquially known as the “murder hornet,” near […]
Man’s best friend will soon have a brand-new job in North Carolina — hunting down invasive bugs. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service’s Plant Industry division will soon welcome a pair of working dogs named Kita and Neeko to the state to help detect Spotted Lanternfly. The destructive pest, which causes severe […]
Guest authors: Courtney Smith and Kelly Oten, NCSU Extension As the weather gets warmer in North Carolina, it’s clear that summer is upon us. Many people enjoy what summer brings — the warm weather, vacations and relaxing by the pool! But did you know that you could also help save North Carolina’s trees while enjoying […]
Guest authors: Courtney Smith and Kelly Oten, NCSU Extension You won’t like the spotted lanternfly if you like to sit under the shade of trees, enjoy fruits such as apples, sip wine or work in the garden. The spotted lanternfly is an invasive insect from Asia that attacks numerous plants. It was first detected in […]
While North Carolina has its fair share of invasive species already within the state, experts at the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services are also on the lookout for pests just outside of our borders. The Spotted Lanternfly is a particularly worrisome pest with heavy breeding populations in several nearby states, and NCDA&CS […]
While 2020 proved to be one of the most challenging years we have faced, it was also a year of opportunities and accomplishments for the N.C. Forest Service. COVID-19 brought much of the world and much of our lives to what seemed to be a hard stop, but it did not stop the men and […]
As its area of infestation grows, North Carolinians should be on the lookout and report sightings of the spotted lanternfly! The spotted lanternfly is sure to draw looks with its vibrant coloration and speckled pattern. By most accounts, it’s a pretty insect. Pretty damaging, that is. Pretty annoying, too! But no matter how attractive it […]
And we need your help to spot it here! In 2013, the emerald ash borer was found for the first time in N.C. Now, a mere 5 years later, it can be found in a third of our state. The introduction of this forest pest has been catastrophic. Countless ash trees have been killed by […]