Spotted Lanternfly inKent County, MDSPOTTED LANTERNFLY GUIDE

Kent County is Maryland's smallest county by population and sits at the northeastern tip of the Eastern Shore, bounded by the Chester River to the south and the Delaware state line to the north. SLF was confirmed here in 2024, with introduction most likely occurring via the Chester River corridor and Route 213 — the main north-south artery linking Kent to Cecil County to the north, which had already confirmed SLF. Chestertown, the county seat and home to Washington College, is a charming small city with active waterfront commerce on the Chester River; boat and barge traffic along this historically navigable river provides a dispersal corridor from the upper Bay's infested regions. Rock Hall's marina draws recreational boaters from the Baltimore and Annapolis areas — infested zones where SLF egg masses readily attach to boat hulls and trailers. Galena and Millington in the northern reaches border Queen Anne's County and Cecil County, where SLF populations have established since 2023 and 2022 respectively, creating pressure from the north and west. Kent's predominantly agricultural economy — grain, soybeans, and equestrian operations — along with its scenic shoreline and tourism trade, means SLF management touches nearly every sector of county life.