Back with a vengeance: 2023 expected to be a 'bug' year with spotted lanternflies
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - We're on the brink of critter season with spotted lanternflies as one of the state's biggest concerns.
In southwestern Pennsylvania, only Greene County is not in the spotted lanternfly quarantine zone.
If you think they were abundant last year, just wait ... they're coming for our trees.
"Things like grapes and apples, and other things - those are some of the major crops that we produce in the state," said entomologist with Erlich Pest Control, Chad Gore. "They can potentially damage those."
If they don't damage the tree, Gore also said they do create honeydew and that it's nasty stuff.
"Sweet, sugary solution that drops all over the place and it could result in sooty mold growing on the surfaces that the honey drops on," he explained.
Not only is the honeydew sticky and ugly, but Gore also said that it can attract other insects.
So, the state wants you to seek out their egg masses on your trees which look like a pale beige color, according to Gore.
"You can scrape the egg masses off of a tree and put on alcohol to dispose of it," he explained. "The problem is that you'll get egg masses all up and down on trees and if it's a really tall tree, you won't be able to see those that are high up."
In other words, good luck reaching them.
Scraping the eggs might be minimally effective but he advises against spraying insecticide due to drift and if you're really worried - there are things a professional might be able to do that are not available over the counter.
Simply put, it's going to be a bad year for bugs because of the mild winter. An overabundance of ticks and mosquitos, along with lanternflies, are possible.
