Congressman Mike Kelly joins bipartisan push to stop spread of spotted lanternflies
The spotted lanternfly is back, and now there's a bipartisan push to stop the spread of the bugs.
Congressman Mike Kelly is joining other U.S. representatives in introducing legislation to squash the invasive species.
The spotted lanternfly is more than just a nuisance. They can be dangerous to crops, killing the grape vines found in Erie and northern Pennsylvania, and can stress other fruits and vegetables when the bugs converge on the plants.
"A spotted lanternfly, if it's feeding on a crop, that potentially will impact the quality of the fruit or vegetables being produced, so that's certainly a concern, even beyond the grapevines," said Brian Wolniak, an urban forester with Penn State Extension.
Wolniak says spotted lanternflies first arrived in the U.S. in 2014 in eastern Pennsylvania. A few years later, they arrived in the Pittsburgh area.
"We unfortunately help that along because we look at where it's moved, it's moved along rail lines, it's moved along highways. The insect likes to lay its eggs on anything and everything, including our cars," Wolniak.
He says that's why they tend to be found in urban areas, especially on the tree of heaven, which is an ornamental tree in cities.
The lanternfly is an invasive species, and scientists still don't know much about it. The proposed legislation designates the spotted lanternfly as a high priority for research and authorizes grants to mitigate the spread.
Wolniak hopes the proposed legislation will lead to increased funding to study how to stop or at least control them.
"We want to invest in this because it has this potential negative economic impact if we don't address this," Wolniak said.
Everyone can help stop the spread further by killing lanternflies and checking for egg masses on firewood and vehicles.