Spotted Lanternfly inMorgan County, WVSPOTTED LANTERNFLY GUIDE
Morgan County is a small Eastern Panhandle county — with just 17,000 residents and Berkeley Springs as its county seat — confirmed for SLF in 2018 as the infestation frontier swept through the West Virginia-Maryland-Virginia tri-state region. Berkeley Springs is West Virginia's premier mineral springs tourism destination, drawing significant weekend visitor traffic from the Baltimore-Washington metro area via I-70 and US-522. This leisure traffic creates constant SLF introduction risk from vehicles arriving from heavily infested DMV counties. Cacapon State Park and the Cacapon River corridor provide ideal natural spread habitat, and Morgan County's position adjacent to Berkeley and Jefferson counties means it sits in the heart of the Eastern Panhandle infestation zone. The county's low population and rural character mean SLF can establish and expand across large areas before being detected.
Highest activity zones
SLF Hotspots in Morgan County, WV
Berkeley Springs mineral springs tourism hub (county seat)
Active zone
Cacapon State Park and Cacapon River corridor
Active zone
US-522 corridor (I-70 proximity spread vector)
Active zone
Eastern Panhandle rural road network (adjacent to Berkeley and Jefferson counties)
Active zone
Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area
Active zone
Primary SLF food source
Tree of Heaven in Morgan County, WV
Tree of Heaven is present along Morgan County's rural road corridors and waterway margins, particularly the US-522 corridor connecting Berkeley Springs to the I-70 zone and the Cacapon River riparian margins through Cacapon State Park. Berkeley Springs town area road margins and the Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area boundary have Ailanthus colonization that extends SLF habitat through this rural tourist county. The weekend visitor traffic pattern — heavy vehicle flow from Baltimore-Washington on Friday evenings, returning Sunday — creates a recurring SLF introduction cycle that makes Morgan County a particularly challenging early-detection monitoring zone.
Identify Tree of Heaven →Local action resources
What To Do in Morgan County, WV
Report a Sighting
Every sighting in Morgan County, WV maps the invasion front. Report directly to West Virginia Department of Agriculture.
Report Now →Squish on Sight
See a spotted lanternfly? Kill it immediately — it is legal and encouraged in all states. Learn the best kill methods.
Full Fight Guide →Map ToH in Your Block
Tree of Heaven removal cuts off SLF food supply. Add ToH sightings to the community map to guide removal efforts.
View Sighting Map →Statewide resources
Full West Virginia State Guide
County-level data, quarantine zones, treatment guides, and agency resources for the entire state.
See the full West Virginia guide →Community intelligence
Live Sighting Map
See where SLF has been spotted near you in Morgan County, WV. Add your own sighting to help map the front.
Open the Map →Free weekly fight briefing
Fight SLF in Morgan County, WV.
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