1 week Ago By People
Spotted lanternflies are once again starting to appear across the United States, as officials warn residents about the invasive planthopper. As of April 11, spotted lanternflies and their egg masses have been found throughout 17 states in 2025, according to a World Population Review tracker . Those states are Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and West Virginia.
Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, similar to officials in other states, advised residents to look for and destroy lanternfly eggs before they hatch as the temperatures begin to rise this spring. Related: Tiny Wasps Are Saving Rare Island Birds from Extinction “You can help keep lanternflies from becoming a summer nuisance and harming our valuable grape and nursery industries,” Redding said in a April 2025 press release announcing more sightings of the invasive pests. “Every spotted lanternfly egg mass you scrape and squash is 30-50 damage-causing insects that won’t hatch in May,” he continued.
The egg masses can be located on a variety of surfaces , including trees, rocks, vehicles, equipment and lawn furniture, the release noted, adding that scraping and smashing them is easy and requires no special tools. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Related: Army First Sergeant Needs Help to ‘Rescue’ Pup He Befriended Overseas: ‘It’s So Dangerous Here for a Dog Like Her’ The leaf-hopping insect, which is believed to have made its way to the U.
S. from Asia more than 10 years ago, poses danger to crops and disrupts the food chain, the World Population Review tracker emphasized. The spotted lanternfly “feeds on a wide range of plants, including grapes, hops, stone fruits, and hardwood trees,” per the U.
S. Department of Agriculture’s website, which added that “it excretes a sticky, sugary fluid that causes sooty mold, which can further damage plants.” For more information on how to prevent or treat lanternfly infestations, visit the Department of Agriculture’ spotted lanternfly guide .
Read the original article on People.
