The spotted lanternflies are back in Pittsburgh. How bad will they be this year?

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- If you haven't noticed yet, the spotted lanternfly is back.

They were the bane of Pittsburgh's existence last summer. There were millions of them and they were all over the place. We're going to see that again this year, but there is some very good news: the population of these pests may be going down. 

"They're flying around now so I expect to see quite a bit more, especially as we start to approach the fall," said entomologist Dr. Chad Gore.

Originally from China, the spotted lanternfly's favorite tree is the tree of heaven, which is also an invasive plant. However, these creatures like to eat some of the stuff we like, and that's a problem. 

"You also get damage to fruit. So if you're growing peaches or pears, or if you're a grape grower for wine, then they can potentially damage that, and that's where the real big concern is," Gore said. 

But there is a silver lining to the clouds of lanternflies we see. 

"We just have to understand that eventually they will go away -- not 100 percent, but they won't be as bad as the initial surge of them," Gore said. 

In fact, Gore says thanks to birds and other bug-eating things, some areas in the eastern side of the state have seen a significant drop in their population. To help in that effort, if you see one, Gore says to kill it.

The population decline isn't going to happen overnight, but Gore says be patient and don't let these bugs bug you too much.

"I'd like to think that things we do have helped but in the end, nature kind of finds a way and kind of helps to balance things out," Gore said.