Wednesday 14 September 2022 08:41 PM How US is fighting a plague of lanternflies as states spend HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS trends now
Spotted lanternflies are littering sidewalks, falling from trees and hitchhiking on cars in 14 states across the eastern region of the US and although they seem harmless, the invasive insect from Asia is costing Americans hundreds of millions of dollars a year in economic damages and treatments to eradicate the pests.
The multi-colored bug, with spots on its back, is known to devour more than 70 types of fruits, trees and plants, leaving behind inch-long, putty-like egg masses and a sticky 'honeydew' resin often covered in toxic black mold that slowly weakens vegetation.
Pennsylvania was the first to detect a spotted lanternfly in 2014 and just five years later, the one-inch insect was found to cost the state $50.1 million annually - but a study warns it could soon reach $324 million.
However, Pennsylvania has since adopted several tactics to find and kill spotted lanternflies, such as training young dogs to sniff out eggs so officials can remove them before they hatch.
The other states plagued by infestations include Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Virginia and West Virginia.
New York is another going into battle against the tree-eating pests, as Senator Chuck Schumer secured $200 million in funds last month to contain the population that threatens the state's $6.65 billion wine and grape industry.
The infestation along the east coast has become so intense, one Twitter user is likening it to the end of days in a tweet that reads: 'This summer will be on the scope of a Plague of Egypt.'
The spotted lantern fly is causing chaos in the eastern region of the US. It is eating trees and annoying residents. New Jersey (pictured), which is one of the 14 states infested, is using hundreds of thousands of federal funds to stop the bugs from destroying its more than 9,000 farms
State officials are encouraging people to step on spotted lanternflies. Pictured is a colony outside a home in Baltimore, Maryland
Both nymphs and adults of spotted lanternfly cause damage when they feed, sucking sap from stems and branches. This can reduce photosynthesis, weaken the plant, and eventually contribute to the plant's death.
In addition, feeding can cause the plant to ooze or weep, resulting in a fermented odor, and the insects themselves excrete large amounts of fluid that is called honeydew.
These fluids promote mold growth and attract other insects.
State officials have sent residents on a mission to kill, urging people to crush or stomp on the bugs, put them in a container of alcohol, diluted Clorox or hand sanitizer and spray them with a mixture of rubbing alcohol and water.
Dan Kenny, the plant health division chief for the department of agriculture of Ohio, told DailyMail.com: [The spotted lanternfly] is sneaky. It moves around on products, cars and even rail cars. There is just so much opportunity for it to spread naturally or hitchhike.'
Ohio: Setting up nets to snare bugs in infested areas
Ohio reported its first infestation in October 2020 and the insects have since made homes in about four counties.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has allocated around $230,000 to be used over the next 12 months on treatments.
The spotted lanternfly, native to Asia, first appeared in the US in 2014 and has since spread to 14 states: Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Virginia and West Virginia
State officials in New Jersey captured an image of a nymph crawling up a tree. These can be killed by simply spraying them with soap and water or vinegar
Kenny explained that spotted lanternflies tend to accumulate in areas where the tree of heaven, or what is scientifically known as Ailanthus altissima, which is a popular tree in urban areas.
The tree of heaven is well-known for the 1943 novel 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn' - it is a species that can survive harsh conditions, but it may not survive these invasive insects.
The insect seeks out this tree to lay its eggs and each can produce 30 to 50 eggs in an egg mass - and some females lay two egg masses at a time.
'We haven't seen crop losses yet, but we are really early into it and are still finding new spots [infestations],' said Kenny.
He continued to explain that Ohio is working to get the word out to the public, urging them to report sightings using the state's online tool, and are setting up traps in infested areas with the hopes of controlling population.
Pennsylvania: Sniffer dogs to hunt down the pests
Spotted lanternflies start to emerge in late April and wreak havoc until about October - and those that continue into the winter usually freeze to death. But this has not stopped the insects from invading .45 counties in Pennsylvania - the first state to report a spotted lanternfly.
A 2019 economic impact study estimates that, uncontrolled, this insect could cost the state $324 million annually and more than 2,800 jobs.
Pennsylvania was the first state to report spotted lanternflies - the first sighting was in 2014. These bugs are causing chaos in the state and a report found the one-inch creatures are causing $50.1 million annually - but a study warns it could soon reach $324 million
Officials are setting up nets in trees with the hopes of catching the sneak insects that are spreading by hitch hiking on cars, products and even trains
Officials are also on the look out for spotted lanternfly eggs, with the hopes of removing them before they hatch into nymphs (pictured)
From January 1 to December 1, 2021, there were 42,343 reports of spotted lanternflies state wide - more than any other state in the US.
In the state's hard-hit southeast, spotted lanternfly imposes $29 million in direct costs on growers and forest landowners.
Pennsylvania officials have been forced to look beyond using just traps to control the population and have employed canines to sniff out where eggs are in trees.
In the western region, a nearly three-year-old German shepherd was trained as a puppy to locate egg masses in businesses like nurseries, greenhouses, vehicle fleets and log yards, allowing teams to scrape the eggs off trees and dispose of them.
However, the common tactic to beat these bugs is using circle traps, stick bands and insecticides.
New York: $200 MILLION cash injection to trap the critters
There have been at least 9,500 reports of spotted lanternflies in New York, which is a dramatic increase from the 5,000 in 2021.
New York City had its first infestation in July 2020 and now, all the state's 62 counties are infested with the tree-eating insects.
The spotted lanternfly feasts on trees, but it has been found on side walks. It is a mystery to why these bugs conjugate on concrete and not stay in wooded areas. Pictured is a large colony outside a restaurant
Part of the federal funding Pennsylvania received is going to training dogs to sniff trees to find eggs. Teams can then scrape the egg masses off the tree before the eggs hatch
Schumer not only secured over $200 million to be used by New York's 'Integrated Pest Management Program' to control the spotted lanternfly, but he is also seeking another $22 million to deal with other invasive bugs in the future.
New York's wine and grape industry generates a direct economic impact of $6.65 billion annually, creates over 71,000 jobs and attracts nearly 5 million tourist visits a year - all of which are in jeopardy of being destroyed by the one-inch creatures.
Similarly, the state's apple industry contributes $1.3 billion in total economic output, provides more than 8,000 jobs, and produces nearly $4 million in gross domestic product to its economy.
Schumer said that 'these crops are vital to the continued economic success of New York and it is imperative the federal government provides all necessary resources to control the spread of spotted lanternflies and protect these iconic New York's industries.'
With the millions in funding, New York will conduct trapping surveys and educate the public.
The funds will also go to restricting movement of goods brought into New York from quarantined areas in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia by requiring certain items (such as construction and landscaping materials) have a certificate of inspection issued by the impacted state.
Connecticut: Officials tell residents to SQUASH bugs on sight
Connecticut is calling on its residents to help stop spotted lanternflies from spreading throughout the state by urging people to squash them on sight.
Unlike other eastern states, the bugs have only been reported in four counties since it first appeared in 2020.
However, these sneaky creatures spread fast and officials are working around the clock to control the population before that happens. And the state has been given more than $57,355 in federal funding to ensure it.
According to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), due to spotted lanternflies taste in dozens of trees, 47 percent of all forest trees in North America are threatened by the species.
Delaware: Scraped TWO MILLION eggs from trees this year
Spotted lanternflies have been reported in five towns across Delaware, most of which are along the coast.
Delaware now has
