Looking around Wheeling, it’s evident that even the smallest changes are noticed in our small town. So, when a new visitor decided to invade our town, everyone took note. The latest invasive resident, the Spotted Lanternfly, is infamous for its pernicious nature. The intelligencer explains further that, “after their initial detection in Ohio County in late summer 2023, the spotted lanternfly population in the Ohio Valley, which includes Wheeling, has grown ‘significantly’ and will continue to increase substantially for the next four to six years.”
Spotted Lanternflies are native to China, India, and Vietnam. They were first discovered in the United States, only about 5 hours away, in Berks County, Pennsylvania. While the original discovery of these insects occurred in 2014, they have gradually become more popular since then. Spotted Lanternflies are easily recognized by their flashes of visible red when their light brown polka-dotted wings are spread.
These new residents come with a surplus of baggage. The heaviest and damaging piece of baggage, however, is what they eat. The species feeds on the sap of a plethora of plants, including trees, grapevines, and landscapes. These pests harm the environment by feeding on tree and plant sap, weakening the plant, and disrupting its nutrient transport. The spotted lanternflies also excrete sugary “honeydew,” which coats selected plants, blocking photosynthesis and attracting other insects.
Mr. Bloomfield teaches agriculture courses here at Wheeling Park High School and is also the advisor for the WPHS FFA chapter. Mr. Bloomfield went into depth, explaining the effect that spotted lantern flies have on Wheeling and ecosystems in general. He explains further on the excretion of honeydew from the species.
“Spotted lantern flies also create what’s called honeydew. Which is a waste product that they do, which, when they excrete that it sticks to everything. Which then can lead to the death of plants, and essentially wreak havoc on the ecosystems,” said Bloomfield.
Ms. Templeton is a science teacher here at Wheeling Park, and she delved into explaining the agricultural damage the United States, and even Wheeling as a community, has seen, which is detrimental.
“They are really hitting the agricultural aspects, around 99 million dollars just because of the fact that these lantern flies are destroying grapevines, walnuts, and things they like to snack on,” said Templeton.
This information is true, seeing as though in a study conducted in just Pennsylvania alone, it was hypothesized that the “overall annual agricultural losses due to spotted lanternfly would be an estimated $29.6 million in the quarantine zone, $20.4 million in the adjacent counties, and $99.1 million statewide,” according to the Cornell Chronicle.
To prevent further harm from Spotted Lantern Flies, the community needs to take direct action. Residents should actively participate in mitigation efforts, as addressing this invasive species requires multiple approaches.
“Basically, they don’t have a natural predator in the US, so the recommendation is to control Tree of Heaven (which is their favorite and also invasive) using prescribed methods. Just cutting it down will not work and usually results in the tree spreading more,” said Bloomfield.
Wheeling residents can help by actively killing as many Spotted Lanternflies as they encounter. Even a small effort by each person can collectively make a significant impact.
“If you see any adult lantern flies, immediately crush them. If you are ever walking in the forest, they like to lay their eggs around trees and plants.” Ms. Templeton.
