Several impacted townships in New Jersey have shared more natural ways to manage the pests without using chemicals. Pesticides are very effective, and while they are commonly available, residents who live in densely populated areas might not want to apply chemicals to areas that are shared with other humans, pets, and children. To control a larger number of pests, residents may need to turn to more efficient pest management methods. In fact, the NJ Department of Agriculture’s main campaign is called “Stomp It Out.” As satisfying as it may be to squash a few bugs here and there, residents may encounter many bugs at one time. The fastest and most effective way to kill the spotted lanternfly is to quite literally stomp it out. For August and September, residents are advised to destroy any life stage of the insect, up to and including the application of pesticides. The New Jersey Department of Agriculture has a great deal of information for residents on how to handle the spotted lanternfly, including a month-by-month breakdown of what actions are recommended based on the bug’s life cycle. Read More: Your Guide to Outdoor Dining in Montclair What You Can Do And, let’s be honest, they’re pretty gross to look at. It has a strong preference for economically important plants and the feeding damage significantly stresses the plants which can lead to decreased health and, potentially, death. The spotted lanternfly uses its piercing-sucking mouthpart to feed on sap from over 70 different plant species. The spotted lanternfly is a serious invasive pest with a healthy appetite for our plants and it can be a significant nuisance, according to the New Jersey Division of Agriculture, affecting the quality of life and enjoyment of the outdoors. Residents who spot the pest are encouraged to both report and kill it. They have red wings with black spots, and are about the size of a quarter. At this stage in the insect’s lifecycle, most of the bugs are adults, which residents have reported seeing throughout Essex County. Since then, the bug has been seen throughout the East Coast, including New Jersey. The spotted lanternfly was first reported in 2014 in Pennsylvania. Read on to learn more about how to safely kill lanternflies. We’ve compiled some tips and tricks to cover how to kill lanternflies safely. Given that New Jersey is known as The Garden State for a reason, it’s important to protect our local agriculture however we can - which means killing these invasive pests whenever possible. The spotted lanternfly is an invasive insect species, and while it doesn’t hurt humans or animals, it’s extremely harmful to plants and trees. But they have their favorites, including the tree of heaven ( itself an invasive species) and grapevines.The red-and-black adult spotted lanternflies seen throughout Essex County and the North Jersey area are not welcome visitors - even if they’re cool to look at. "They have a pretty diverse palate and can feed on over 100 different plant species," Eshenaur said. "We've updated it twice a week, even just to keep up with all the new counties in the Northeast and out in the Midwest that are having infestations," he told NPR. At that time, the project warranted maybe an update two to three times a year. But they do pose a serious risk to agriculture.Įshenaur, with the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program, said he and his team started monitoring the spotted lanternfly in 2018. These insects are not dangerous to humans or pets - they don't bite or sting, and they aren't venomous. Recent reports indicate the bugs have settled in New York, Canada, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina, and now, according to Brian Eshenaur, they have migrated over to the Midwest. A spotted lanternfly creeps on the ground during a baseball game in Pittsburgh in 2021.Įver since the spotted lanternfly first appeared in Berks County, Pa., in 2014 (arriving from its home in Asia), this invasive species has been booking it across the United States.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |