All over the state, spotted lanternflies have been harming native tree species and crops. The invasive species native to Vietnam, India, and China was first sighting in the United States in 2014, but hasn’t been a big factor until its population boom this summer.

According to Nj.gov: “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.”

Not only are plants in danger, but the impact on crops and ecosystems are expected to lower the quality of life for those living by them.

New Providence biology teacher, Rachel Fintz explained what that means: “So the lanternflies population is currently exploding which is not so good for us, and they like to decimate a lot of our key species. They’ll attack a lot of our grapevines and crops, which won’t be great for local New Jersey farms.”

The spotted lanternflies have also been found in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. 

New Jersey’s government has set up sighting report pages online, and informed the public that if they see one of these bugs they should kill it immediately. 

Many New Providence residents have noticed the insects in their own yards, and have been trying to follow the guidelines for dealing with them, such as to remove all plants that the lanternflies prefer to take sap from. Some other ways to drive them out of the area is to spray the plants with vinegar, wrap up key species trees with duct tape, or use a vacuum to suction many of them.

New Providence sophomore Riley Fergusen said “There was a hole in my backyard that was infested with lantern flies. We saw the whole tree bottom was decaying. So we were like, okay this is a big problem and obviously if it can happen to one tree can happen to any.”

To Fintz, this is exactly why spreading awareness is important:  “A lot of people aren’t quite aware of the role that invasive species play on our ecosystems. And so we get away with a lot of invasive species entering our communities and having effects that we don’t necessarily see because a lot of people don’t focus on nature, until it gets to the point where we’re at with the lantern fly and it starts decimating our crops.”

It seems like the word about the lanternflies is getting around.  Abby Martin, a NPHS sophomore, said: “I’ve heard about it online … on Tiktok.”

While the lanternflies have been getting a lot of attention there are also  thousands of other invasive species that we need to be aware of. Similar precautions need to be taken to protect our key New Jersey species and native plants from harmful organisms like Japanese silk grass and the Emerald Ash Borer.