Zzzzzp! Hop-hop! Zzzzz, hop!  “There goes another one.” “Another what?”  “Another spotted lantern fly!”  Spotted lantern flies appeared more and more throughout Norwin over the past few weeks, making everyone curious about them.

Norwin AP Environmental teacher, Mrs. Muchoney sheds some light on the appearance and spread of this invasive insect. 

“Spotted lanternflies are invasive, because they are not native to the region, and they cause environmental and economic damage,” Muchoney said. “They act as parasites to many tree species by making a sticky product called honeydew which attracts dust and mold.  The honeydew residue also inhibits photosynthesis.”

These bugs are everywhere, flocking houses and trees, and backyards.

“They make me feel like there’s a zombie apocalypse going on, but with bugs, and I don’t know how we’re going to stop it.,” said senior Hayden Douglas.

The trees eventually die from the from the spotted lantern fly invasion. According to Agriculture.Pa.Gov “The spotted lanternfly causes serious damage including oozing sap, wilting, leaf curling and dieback in trees, vines, crops and many other types of plants. In addition to plant damage, when spotted lanternflies feed, they excrete a sugary substance, called honeydew, that encourages the growth of black sooty mold.”

“They prefer the Tree of Heaven which is a common ornamental plant in this area,” Muchoney said. “They can live on many tree species such as maple trees and fruit trees.” 

According to Agriculture.Pa.Gov, “The economic impact could total in the hundreds of millions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of jobs for those in the grapes, apple, hops, and hardwood industries.”

“Removing any ornamental or invasive Trees of Heaven, and creating sticky traps can help to reduce the population,” said Muchoney. “Lantern flies should be killed when possible, and egg cases should be destroyed.”

Information about the community and updates on local news are essential.  So when new issues arise such as spotted lantern flies invasion of Irwin it’s key that you can get updates on how to handle the situation.