An invasive bug called the lanternbug is causing several counties in New Jersey to go under quarantine.
Officials with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture said the bug is not harmful to animals or humans, but it is potentially harmful to more than 70 plant species, including fruit trees, vegetables, and vines.
“We have been working diligently to slow the advance of this bug,” Secretary Douglas Fisher said in a press release. “We are targeting areas where severe infestations have been confirmed, and we also encourage residents to destroy the Spotted Lanternfly if possible when they see it. It will take a combined effort to help keep this pest from spreading.”
Officials in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware have sounded the alarm about the bug, which was first spotted in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in 2014.
According to ABC News, 26 counties in Pennsylvania, eight in New Jersey, two in Maryland and one in Delaware are currently under quarantine.
New Jersey crews are working to treat areas where the bug has been detected, CNN reported.
