by Alexa Garrett, Staff Writer
Reportedly one of the most invasive species in New York State, the spotted lanternfly, an insect native to Asia, made a shockingly high reappearance during this past summer. According to the New York Times, the lanternfly was first spotted in the United States in 2014, just across state lines in Pennsylvania. Ever since then, they have become a pest in areas of the Northeast, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Lanternflies have accumulated the most in New York ever since the summer of 2020 and have had a major effect ecologically on the state’s agriculture.
Chris Logue, associated with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, explains that “lanternflies tend to be more noticeable toward the end of the summer because of their natural life cycle: Almost all the lanternflies that have hatched this year are now adults.” When adults, lanternflies feed on a variety of crops: fruit trees, walnuts, maple and most especially, grapevines.
With grapevine notably being one of the most economically important crops, grapevine farmers have been struggling to keep up with the number of deceased plants. Winemakers luckily have not undergone an exponential decrease in crop yield compared to states such as Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, there is still a concern about what farmers will do in the future to prevent the lanternflies from attacking more of Long Island and the Finger Lakes region in upstate New York.
Social media users have taken it upon themselves to bring attention to the issue–especially on TikTok. Trending as a way to eliminate the insect, NY locals have been on the radar so that they can kill as many lanternflies as possible.
“I don’t like bugs, so I kind of swiped away as quickly as I could. They would take the water bottle and put it on the tree and suction them up. I’ve never seen one in person, but they look really gross,” freshman Saige Hinch said.
Another student, freshman musical theater major Samantha Ray, who is from Pittsburgh, PA, said the issue of lanternflies was very noticeable last summer.
“It was bad in the Spring, then July into August we couldn’t go anywhere without seeing them,” Ray said.
Ray also believes that the viral TikTok trends have been helping prevent the issue.
“They are getting people to kill them, and they are kind of educating people so I think it’s fine. I don’t really want to see it but also I’ve had to do it, just walking to my house I’ve killed like eight,” she said.
Locals have used different methods to kill the bugs, including stomping on the insects with their feet or swatting at them. The New York Times also mentioned that another way to limit the amount of adult lanternflies is to target lanternfly eggs. An adult lanternfly can lay up to 60 eggs at a time. Typically, these lightly colored eggs are found most commonly on the side of trees, closely resembling tree bark, which makes them difficult to tell apart from the tree itself. Scraping the clusters off the side of trees can have a crucial effect on the number of lanternflies in the environment.
Some have found that removing plants that attract the lanternflies can also be helpful.
“In higher-risk areas, officials have used special vacuums to suck up lanternflies. In the Bronx, which is experiencing a serious infestation, the New York Botanical Garden has removed plants that the insects are attracted to,” Director of Plant Health at the garden Vincent Galatolo said.
From TikTok trends to the news, these insects have made a vivid appearance. Lanternflies have had a major effect on New York’s ecosystem and many feel it is important to become aware of this prominent issue. The exponential growth of the lanternfly is not certain, but it will likely be monitored for years to come.
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