A West Penn Township official has again warned of the danger of the spotted lanternfly threat.

Supervisor Ted Bogosh said at Monday morning’s board of supervisors meeting that residents need to be on the watch out for trees possibly falling across other trees and power lines.

Bogosh said that the spotted lanternfly threat is real.

“The potential of creating havoc in our township is extreme,” Bogosh said.

Bogosh said the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has put a quarantine in place to stop the movement of the spotted lanternfly and to slow its spread within the quarantine.

The following counties are currently under quarantine: Schuylkill, Carbon, Monroe, Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Montgomery and Philadelphia.

In April, Bogosh noted that the insects are killing the trees, some of which are over 100 years old.

Bogosh said the spotted lanternfly is attacking grapes, fruit trees and pines, while the emerald ash borer kills ash trees and the gypsy moth attacks oak.

He said it is expected the ash trees will be eliminated.

Bogosh added that some residents have had trees fall along their power lines, and urged landowners to be mindful of any older trees on their property.

The USDA has granted $17.5 million to the state to investigate and stop the spread and control and perhaps eliminate the insect.

The state Department of Agriculture has provided information signs to each municipality in the county to be mounted in a place where there’s some foot traffic.