NEW YORK (WBNG) — Local wildlife agencies are once again asking the Southern Tier to keep their eyes out for Spotted Lanternflies.
They are destructive pests that feed on more than 70 plant species. This includes crops that are essential to the New York State agriculture industry, like grapes.
Officials said the public could encounter the bugs more often, as most of them have reached maturity.
Experts highlight the Lanternflies’ adaptability as a primary reason for their invasive nature.
“It’s a really great hitchhiker,” said Chris Louge, the Director of the New York State Agriculture Department Plant Industry Division. “The eggs which are laid in the fall of the year and go through the winter, those are laid on all kinds of different materials, rusty metals, firewood, pallets and lawn furniture.”
There are 29 counties in New York where these pests have been detected.
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