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

• We first found this insect in Kentucky in 2023 in Gallatin County thanks to an observant homeowner.
• In 2024, SLF was confirmed in Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Grant, Owen, Henry, and Carroll Counties.

Vascular Streak Dieback (VSD) Disease

• Our office participated in a multi-state survey for this disease in 2023 and 2024. 2024 was the first year we detected the disease in Kentucky.
• In 2024, our nursery inspector collected 7 samples, 3 of which tested positive for VSD. The positive samples came from a redbud in a state park, a maple in a retail box store, and a redbud in a nursery. Positive counties are shown on the map below, with 1 positive site per county. 

Laurel Wilt Disease

• Our colleagues at the Kentucky Division of Forestry first detected this disease in Kentucky in 2019.

Pine Shoot Beetle

• A member of our office first detected Pine Shoot Beetle in Kentucky in 2015 while conducting a trapping survey for this pest.  

Emerald Ash Borer

• Our office first detected this insect in Kentucky in 2009 thanks to an observant homeowner who contacted us about his dying ash trees.

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid

• A member of our office detected the first Hemlock Woolly Adelgid infestation in Kentucky in 2006 while conducting a visual survey for this pest.

Spongy Moth

• We conduct extensive surveys for this pest every year with thousands of traps. 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, through observant citizens as well as dedicated surveys conducted by our office each year. The enlarged map of western Kentucky below shows detections from 2000-2017 which were all eradicated.

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