Since their first sighting in Pennsylvania in 2014, spotted lanternflies have been steadily expanding throughout the country and terrorizing agriculture wherever they landed, writes Benjamin Simon for The Post and Courier.
In recent years, the invasive species has reached as far as North Carolina and Tennessee, and now experts are saying that it is just a matter of time until the insects reach South Carolina.
“It’d be living in a fantasy world to think it never will get here,” said David Coyle, associate professor of forest health and invasive species at Clemson University.
Spotted lanternflies set off alarm bells across the country as soon as they first appeared. People joined forces to try and minimize their numbers, and one Philadelphia area developer even created an app where users could compete over who could kill the most bugs.
The pest is especially dangerous to vineyards, weakening and killing grapevines. It also attacks apple orchards and over 100 other plants. The pest moves easily, climbing and hiding in tiny crevices of various everyday items, including cars, cardboard boxes, and storage containers, that are transported across the country.
Read more about spotted lanternflies in The Post and Courier.
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on BUCKSCO Today in October 2024.
