LOYALSOCK TOWNSHIP, PA — It is that time of the year to go outside and check your trees for spotted lanternflies. The insects are gearing up for the winter.
"They are laying their eggs and then the adults will die and the eggs have a protective coating on them that has shown to live through the bitterest of winters so far," said Shannon Powers with the PA Department of Agriculture.
Newswatch 16 stopped by River Front Park in Loyalsock Township in Lycoming County. There we found dozens of pregnant Lanternflies getting ready lay eggs.
"Every egg mass that you see, is thirty to fifty Lantern Flies," Powers stated.
The bug is considered extremely invasive and poses a threat to Pennsylvania's agricultural economy. It feeds on vines, trees, and other plants.
"They damage young trees, they are a nuisance for outdoor recreation and entertainment, and they are a threat to agriculture," Powers added.
"The timber industry is very strong in Lycoming County. This is a bug that could cause issues with our timber exports," said Matthew Long of the Lycoming County Conservation District. "Places may not want to export from an area with an infestation because it may transport it to an area without one." >
Last year Lycoming County was added to the state's Spotted Lantern Fly Quarantine list. There is already a total of 51 counties on the list.
"Quarantine is an effort to keep Lantern Flies where they are... you can't transport lantern flies or their eggs or any life stage of lantern flies out of the area," said Powers.
If you do see a lantern fly, the state asks you to squish it. Additionally, if you find an egg mass on a tree or plant you should scrape it off and then squish it as well.