The first spotted lanternflies of 2020 have hatched in Pennsylvania, kicking off a season where we could see large populations of the bug.
The first of the invasive insects hatched in Bryn Mawr on April 13, with another group of lanternflies hatching in the University City section of Philadelphia on April 20, said Heather Leach, an extension associate with Penn State Entomology.
The first hatching in the Lehigh Valley is expected around May 5, with 50% of the areas lanternflies hatching by late May, Leach said, noting the prediction models aren’t perfect.
Right now, people can still scrape lanternfly egg masses off trees and other surfaces to keep them from hatching. Use something like a credit card or butter knife to scrape the jelly-bean-shaped eggs, laid in neat lines and covered with a mud-like substance, into a plastic bag filled with alcohol or hand sanitizer.
“Let’s use this time at home to make a positive impact on spotted lanternfly this season; scrape and destroy any remaining egg masses you find and band your trees now,” said Agriculture Secretary Redding. “We need every Pennsylvanian to keep their eyes peeled for this bad bug, we can’t let our guard down.”
State and federal officials have spent millions of dollars trying to stop the spotted lanternfly, which is known to damage a wide range of plants. Unlike some pests, which decimate particular species of trees, lanternflies are not picky eaters. They prefer the invasive tree of heaven, but have been known to feed on grapes, orchard fruit, hops, hardwoods and other agricultural products.
This lanternfly season is expected to be a bad one. Leach said 2019 was a good weather year for lanternflies, and researchers saw a large number of eggs deposited in the fall compared to the 2018 season.
After 2018, researchers wondered if there had been so many bugs they out-competed each other, Leach said.
“But in 2019, we saw them really come back strong and lay lots of egg masses,” she said. “Time will tell what 2020 looks like, but predictions are it could be pretty significant populations.”
A Penn State study released in January found the bug is costing the Pennsylvania economy about $50 million and eliminating nearly 500 jobs each year. If the insect were to expand statewide, it could cause $325 million in damage and wipe out 2,800 jobs, the researchers estimated.
The invasive insect native to Asia first landed in the U.S. in Berks County in 2012. Since then, it infested 26 other Pennsylvania counties, including the Lehigh Valley, as well as parts New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.
Morning Call reporter Michelle Merlin can be reached at 610-820-6533 or at mmerlin@mcall.com.
