Fetterman, McCormick introduce legislation to stop spread of spotted lanternfly

In recent years, this is the time when we usually see those pesky spotted lanternflies across Western Pennsylvania, and for farmers, they're more than just an annoyance. They're a crop destroyer.

A few years ago, at Garfield Community Farm, John Creasy, the director of ecology and design, said spotted lanternflies invaded the property so much so that they needed to put sticky traps on trees, which captured thousands a day.

"We had several trees here that were large, large trees, and they were covered in lanternflies," Creasy said. "Those years when they're just out of control, they're really hard to deal with. They're everywhere, and they reduce the quality of a lot of our food."

That hasn't been the case this year, in part because this past winter they got rid of trees of heaven on the property, something that pests love to feed on, along with grapevines more common in the Erie region.

"I think that other insects are learning to eat them, and they're becoming more known within the ecosystem," Creasy said.

Nonetheless, the populations could pick up again, and to prepare, Pennsylvania's U.S. senators, John Fetterman and Dave McCormick, introduced a bipartisan bill to designate the spotted lanternfly an invasive species that poses a significant threat to the country's agricultural economy. If passed, it would increase funding for research to curb the spread.

It's welcome news to Creasy, who, while KDKA was visiting him, discovered one more tree of heaven they'll need to take down. You could find a couple of branches covered in one adult spotted lanternfly and several nymphs, the insects in their earliest stage.

"It'd be great to have funding for science to be able to really understand what the best ways are to deal with this invasive species as well as others," Creasy said. 

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, spotted lanternflies, if not controlled, could cost the state $324 million every year.