The National Agricultural Pest Information System (NAPIS) consolidates the plant pest survey data gathered through the USDA's Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) program as well as other invasive pest surveys.  NAPIS currently has 1.3 million records on more than 3800 different organisms including insects, pathogens, weeds, and biological control organisms. Pest Tracker is the public access web site of the NAPIS system.

Follow the link below to get the latest pest information about Kentucky and state survey maps from Pest Tracker on NAPIS.  

Pest Tracker State Information: Kentucky

Below is a list of the most recent finds of invasive pests in Kentucky. 

The pest name is a link which will take you to a page with more information on the pest.

Spotted Lanternfly

• First detected in Kentucky in 2023 in Gallatin County.

Laurel Wilt Disease

• First detected in Kentucky in 2019.

Pine Shoot Beetle

• First detected in Kentucky in 2015.  

Emerald Ash Borer

• First detected in Kentucky in 2009.

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid

• First detected in Kentucky in 2006.

Spongy Moth (formerly Gypsy Moth)

• A few individuals are captured in Kentucky each year, but there are no populations established in the state. The graph below shows numbers of moths captured each year since the survey program began.

Imported Fire Ant

• Mounds are detected and eradicated in western Kentucky periodically. The map below shows detections from 2000-2017 which were all eradicated.

• In 2022, mounds were detected in southern Kentucky in McCreary and Whitley Counties.