Welcome to Kentucky's Office of the State Entomologist Who We Are | What We Do
Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) in Kentucky
Our office is receiving a number of reports of SLF sightings. Kentucky does have counties already known to be positive for SLF.
Most state entomologists work in their state’s Department of Agriculture, but in Kentucky, our office is at the University of Kentucky. The State Entomologist for Kentucky is also the Chair of the Department of Entomology and serves as the State Plant Regulatory Official (SPRO) for the Commonwealth.
Our office licenses businesses and individuals who buy, sell, ship, or distribute nursery stock for profit in Kentucky. This includes nurseries, garden centers, and landscapers. We inspect nurseries and help owners and managers with pest problems.
We also inspect plants for phytosanitary certification so they can be shipped within the U.S. or exported worldwide. In addition, we work with federal, state, and local agencies to survey for invasive pests and create strategies to manage them.
Licensing Information
If you work with plants or plant materials in Kentucky—like at a nursery, garden center, landscaping business, sod farm, or perennial grower—you must have a nursery or nursery dealer license.
This license is separate from your regular business license.
Certifications
Shipping plants or plant products out of Kentucky—across the country or around the world?
Bringing plants or plant products into the United States?
You may need certificates or permits!
Invasive Pests
As the United States continues to expand its export markets around the world and increase the variety of agricultural commodities it imports, the U.S. has a greater chance to bringing in unwanted pests such as the Spotted Lanternfly and Asian Longhorned Beetle.
State Survey Information
For our Surveyors: A landing page to all resources needed to complete your work.
For the General Public: Learn more about our survey work here in Kentucky! Become a citizen scientist!
Become a Citizen Scientist!
We have known for years that it is you, the public, that are usually the first to find unwanted pests. Your involvement is vital in our survey work!