The Spotted lanternflies (SLF ) have become a big problem for New York City residents the last several years. The Spotted Lantern flies are a species of plant-hoppers who feed directly on the sugary sap of the plant. The Spotted Lantern flies are an invasive species since they are originally native to Asia so they don´t have any natural predators in the U.S which leads to them feeding on as many plants as possible and over-breading. Over-breeding can cause massive damage to our ecosystem since SLF feed on the sap of the plants which leads to the plants being weak to growth of sooty molds that interfere with photosynthesis and attracts swarm of insects which can make it hard to do outdoor activity.
The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) states ¨SLF spread primarily through human activity. They lay their eggs on vehicles, firewood, outdoor furniture, stone, and which are inadvertently transported to new areas, causing the insect to spread.¨ They also state “New York’s annual yield of apples and grapes has a combined value of more than $350 million, which could be greatly impacted by SLF. The full extent of economic damage this insect could cause is unknown at this time.” This just goes to show that not only are they bad for the environment- they are also harmful to our economy.
Gardening club advisor and teacher Mr. Moody stated “They [SLF] were brought to the U.S in 2014 and since they originate from Asia they have no natural predators here. I have been seeing more and more of them, they are spreading throughout the north east and are bad for the crops here. They cause piercing wounds that harms the plants and leaves them week to other insects.” He further states ” We cant really stop them by killing them because we can’t kill enough of them. I’ve heard that scientists are trying to figure out a virus that would stop them from reproducing. Stopping them from reproducing is pretty much the only way to stop them.”
No matter how much we kill them they tend to come back with greater numbers, as stated by Mr. Moody. “The threat is very serious especially if you’re in the agriculture area. They are destroying crops. It’s getting worse and worse, I surf in the fall and I see them in the water, there are so many of them.”
This reinforces the statement made by the DEC on how it can harm crops and to make it worse they keep on populating more and more. On killing them as a tactic to stop their spread, Mr. Moody said “I used to kill them but I don’t anymore- I try to respect all life. I would encourage people to not feel negative emotions towards these beings. Yes they are bad news, but it’s not their fault that they are here.”
Another member of the Dewey community who the spotted lantern flies have affected is senior Brian Aranda. His backyard was completely overrun by the spotted lantern flies during the late spring through the fall. “The spotted lantern flies have greatly affected my quality of life because I have a bunch of vegetables planted in my backyard. They seem to have taken over the place and are causing harm to my plants. Their population keeps on increasing and they are destroying all the vegetables. It’s difficult to get rid of them. We tried smoke, sprays and just stomping on them but they always come back in a bigger quantity, it seems like my backyard is theirs now. The winter should take care of them hopefully.” This is just a small example of the damages they are capable of. If they can cause this much damage to a small backyard garden, just imagine how much harm they can do to a whole field.
The SLF infestation is extremely bad- not just for the people of NYC, but also the government. They cause a lot of harm to our environment and make it hard for us to enjoy the outdoors during the summer. SLF destroy crops for farmers and cause damage to the economic stability of our city’s agriculture. There is no real way to stop them currently, no matter how many we kill, it seems that they always come back in greater numbers- creating a vicious cycle.
