N.J. officials want your help stomping out the Spotted Lanternfly

TRENTON, N.J. - New Jersey officials want you to "join the battle, beat the bug." 

Specifically, the Spotted Lanternfly. 

They say it is an "excellent hitchhiker and is easily moved if no one is looking." 

So the state has established "quarantine zones" and is asking drivers to look closely at their vehicles, trailers, and any outdoor items you might travel with if you are in one of them. 

They call the initiative "look before you leave." 

"We need everyone's help to protect their properties and communities from this invasive pest," officials wrote on the N.J. Department of Agriculture's website. 

The following counties are considered part of the quarantine zone: 

• Burlington
• Camden
• Essex
• Gloucester
• Hunterdon
• Mercer
• Middlesex
• Monmouth
• Morris
• Salem
• Somerset
• Union
• Warren

The following counties have "small" population of the Spotted Lanternfly: 

• Atlantic
• Bergen
• Cumberland
• Hudson
• Ocean
• Passaic
• Sussex

For a map showing the current distribution of Spotted Lanternflies across our region, CLICK HERE.