Spotted lanternflies exploding across New York and New Jersey
NEW YORK - By now, you've probably seen spotted lanternflies.
They're native to China and Southeast Asia, but have made their way across our area, and lately they've become a nuisance in New York City.
CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis spoke to experts about what's being done to slow the spread.
"They're a menace," said Staten Island resident Ryan MacGarrigle.
McGarrigle is talking about the spotted lanternflies, which he's no stranger to on Staten Island.
"They're everywhere. They're all over the trees. It's the worst," he said.
On Manhattan's West Side, they've become the talk of the office for Drew Braxton.
"We all were talking about how it's a littlebit strange to see large quantities of them. I don't see them as much in Brooklyn, personally,. Definitely here on the West Side, they tend to gather along the glass and stuff," Braxton said.
Along 11th Avenue, people are trying to walk around them, but experts say don't bother.
"Step on them. Do whatever you can. Use a bottle. Use tape. Use a vacuum and kill them. And the reason why is we don't have a natural predator for them right now," said Timothy Wong, technical director of pest control company MMPC.
"What's the concern with them growing in population?" DeAngelis asked.
"The problem is that they're going to start invading our crops," Wong said. "It's gonna have a huge impact on agriculture."
Wong says while they're not harmful to people, they are a nuisance. He has an eco-friendly ways of killing them.
"The active ingredients in these are rosemary oil, peppermint oil, and it kills and repels most insects," Wong said.
Unfortunately, they're not just here in the city. Experts say spotted lanternflies have spread across New Jersey.
"Every county in New Jersey has active populations of spotted lanternflies," said Saul Vaiciunas.
Vaiciunas, a plant pathologist with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, says there are state-funded programs to help counties with spraying. The New Jersey Department of Agriculture is also working with federal partners to control the pests at transportation hubs, so they don't spread out of state.
"The USDA is working hard now to find something that can be released to control spotted lanternfly," Vaiciunas said. "We hope that eventually we get these populations down to a point where it's just hardly noticeable. That would be the ultimate goal."
Right now, the New York Department of Agriculture is prioritizing areas around grape-growing regions, asking people outside New York City to report spotted lanternfly sightings.
For more information from the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, CLICK HERE.
The New York Department of Agriculture has the following tips:
- NYC residents should kill spotted lanternflies whenever they see on by stepping on it. There's no need to report spotted lanternfly sightings in New York City
- If you live outside New York City, you should: Take a photo, collect a smaple and place it in the freezer or in a job with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer, and contact spotted lanternfly responders
- Once you've reported it and collected a sample, you should kill any other spotted lanternflies you see
The New York City Department of Agriculture says the spotted lanternfly is mostly a threat to agricultural crops, and while they are not tree killers, they weaken trees if there's a severe infestation. It also urges residents to kill them on site.
