Safe Travels Update for Veterans Offered at Township Building
Safe Travels Update for Veteransin observance of Veterans Day
Program is sponsored by the Mount Joy Lions Club in cooperation with East Donegal Township Thursday, November 7, 2019 9:00 am to 12:00 noon East Donegal Township Building 190 Rock Point Road Marietta, PA
Program is free and will include a light lunch ALL VETERANS and other interested individuals are
invited.
The program will be facilitated by Lions Club member, Nevin Lontz. Writer of Safe Travels articles for local monthly newsletters Program will
cover new PA Driving Laws
Pre-registration is requested. Call or email Nevin Lontz @717-309-9623 orNmlontz@gmail.com
Questions may be directed to Nevin Lontz at above
contact points.
7
Oct
Trick or Treat Scheduled for 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Thursday, October 31, 2019
To most youngsters, there is nothing better than getting free candy! But because safety probably will not be their first priority, parents can help make sure this Halloween will be a safe one by following these tips:
Costumes should be bright and reflective and not drag on the ground; masks should allow for unobstructed vision and kid’s shoes should fit their feet.
Make sure young children are accompanied by an adult, even if it’s not you.
Pack a flashlight in the candy bag for use while walking after dark.
Stay away from houses that are dark.
If there is no sidewalk, walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic using the flashlight for safety.
A cell phone should be handy to call 911 in case of emergency.
Inspect all candy. Although tampering is rare, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
As a homeowner, it is your duty to make sure the yard is clear of anything that could be a tripping hazard (i.e. hoses, ladders, flower pots, dog toys, unlit steps).
Jack O’Lanterns should be lit by battery-powered flame, not a candle, to prevent a costume, bag, or decoration from catching fire.
Lock your dog or cats up in a room where they can’t see the trick-or-treaters. And don’t forget, chocolate can be deadly to pets. Make sure kids don’t try to feed your family pet a treat!
1
Oct
Stop This Invader – Spotted Lanternfly
What is the Spotted Lanternfly?
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has issued information related to the Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), or SLF, an exotic insect pest native to China, India, and Vietnam. The Spotted Lanternfly was first found in Berks County in 2014 and has since spread to several surrounding counties, including Lancaster County. See the complete map of affected counties as of November 4, 2017 by clicking here. An updated map of Spotted Lanternfly distribution may be found by clicking here. Due to this pest’s spread throughout southeastern Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth issued a Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine and Order in 2018.
The Spotted Lanternfly can feed on a variety of over 70 plants such
as grapes, cherries, maples, stone fruits, and the Tree of Heaven. For a
chart of the signs of the Spotted Lanternfly, click here.
Other insects such as the Giant Leopard Moth and the Vigin Tiger Moth
may be confused with the Spotted Lanternfly due to their appearance.
When in doubt, report a suspicious moth to badbug@pa.gov.
Visit the Penn State Extension website with extensive information about the Spotted Lanternfly by clicking here.
Visit the PA Department of Agriculture’s Spotted Lanternfly page by clicking here.
What problems do they pose?
The Spotted Lanternfly can infest nurseries and tree farms and
decimate fruit-bearing trees and vines, ruining their crops. They are
known to have killed over 70 species of plants, including hardwood,
dogwood, pine, and spruce trees.
Fortunately, there is only one generation of SLF per year.
What can businesses do to control the Spotted Lanternfly?
To stop the spread of the Spotted Lanternfly, the Pennsylvania
Department of Agriculture issued a quarantine for counties where the
presence of this pest has been confirmed: Berks, Bucks, Carbon,
Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery,
Northampton, Philadelphia, and Schuylkill Counties. Businesses operating in the quarantine zone must have permits to move equipment and goods within and out of the zone. Unsure if your business or organization is required to carry permits? Check the Penn State Extension’s online articlefor more information and examples of who is required to obtain a permit.
Penn State Extension and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
have developed a self-paced, online course to train designated employees
how to comply with the quarantine. This course will teach the
designated employees what they need to know about the spotted lanternfly
through short, informative videos. They will learn the spotted
lanternfly lifecycle and how to identify each life stage, what it likes
to eat, and where it likes to lay its eggs. They will also learn how to
find and destroy spotted lanternflies and their egg masses, best
practices for working in the quarantine zone, and the best ways to
eliminate spotted lanternfly from their property.
There are three sections in the course. Each section has a quiz at
the end. Students will need to achieve a score greater than 70% on the
quizzes in order to pass this course.
Oncea designated employee passes this course, his or her company will receive spotted lanternfly permits for company vehicles. The designated employee must train fellow employees to work in the quarantine zone without
inadvertently spreading these insects and endangering agriculture and
commerce. Downloadable training materials, including PowerPoint
presentations and fact sheets, are available in the course. Click here to find out more about how to stay in compliance with the SLF Quarantine.
If you have questions about the permitting process, email the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture: slfpermit@pa.gov.
What can residents do to control the Spotted Lanternfly?
One of the most important things you can do is report sightings to the PA Department of Agriculture (PA Ag). Report online, e-mail a picture of any life stage (including egg masses) to Badbug@pa.gov, or call the Spotted Lanternfly hotline at 1-888-4BAD-FLY (1-888-422-3359) with information regarding your sighting.
Steps of Spotted Lanternfly Management
Stop the spread: check your car and any outdoor equiment (grills, mowers, firewood, etc.) when going in and out of the quarantine zone.
Here are specific things to do in the various seasons:
Spring: Egg casings can be found until the nymphs
emerge in April or May. Adult females will have laid egg masses on host
trees and nearby smooth surfaces like stone, outdoor furniture,
vehicles, and structures. Each adult femal can lay 10 different egg
casings in a season. Newly laid egg masses have a grey mud-like
covering which can take on a dry cracked appearance over time. Old egg
masses appear as rows of 30-50 brownish seed-like deposits in 4-7
columns on the trunk, roughly an inch long. To remove: Scrape egg masses off, bag them with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer, double-bag, and dispose of them in the trash. Please report all destroyed egg masses on the PA Department of Agriculture website.
Late spring is the time to band trees to catch nymphs. The
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is supplying sticky brown bands
to volunteers in quarantined areas. If
you are interested in completing the training required to participate
in the PDA volunteer program, send your contact information to: kmb52@psu.edu
(please include your name, phone numbers, email address, mailing
address and the municipality of the property where you will place the
bands) or call 610-391-9840 to sign up. Potential volunteers will be
contacted with information about the training and where they can pick up
banding supplies.
Summer: Adults mature and start flying in July. If
you have a tree-of-heaven on your property, remove it, as this tree is
the favored host tree to the SLF.
If your property has an abundance of SLFs, you may determine that
professional help is needed by a pest management company. Make sure the
one you choose meets all the legal and educational requirements. This
would include verifying a valid and current:
Pennsylvania Pesticide Applicator Certification or Registered Technician card (see list for certification categories)
Business license (requires the company to have general liability insurance coverage specific to pesticide applications)
The above are required to commercially apply pesticides in
Pennsylvania. Ask about their membership in professional trade
associations, which generally offer ongoing education in safety,
training, research, and regulations. Expect pest management
professionals to provide information on a wide assortment of
pesticide-related topics, such as personal safety and environmental
impact. They should discuss chemical tactics along with alternative
weed, insect, plant disease, and rodent control strategies. The company
must provide pesticide labels on request. Many answers to your
questions will be found on the label instructions. The pesticide must
be labeled for use on the site (such as lawns, ornamentals, dwellings,
vegetables, etc.) and preferably specify the target pest. Visit Penn
State Extension’s Pests and Diseases web page for label information.
Autumn: Adults are mating and laying eggs, so more
of them will be visible. Look for egg casings beginning in November,
and destroy as described above. Please report all destroyed egg masses on the PA Department of Agriculture website.
Winter: If the weather is warm enough, adult
Spotted Lanternflies can lay eggs into December. Continue to look for
egg casings and destroy as described above. Please report all destroyed egg masses on the PA Department of Agriculture website.
