Spotted lanternflies found in Gallatin County. What we know about the infestation
Officials are warning residents across Kentucky to be on the lookout for spotted lanternflies, an invasive species that could wreak havoc on local trees and fruit crops, after a nest was discovered in Gallatin County.
Jonathan Larson, an assistant professor of extension entomology at the University of Kentucky, said the nest was first discovered at a home in Sparta, Kentucky, in the first week of October. The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the infestation this week.
The location is notable because the area is close to Switzerland County in Indiana where the species was first discovered in that state in 2021.
The spotted lanternfly feeds on common backyard trees, like maple trees. Fruits like apples, peaches and grapes are “the most affected at commodity by these insects," Larson said.
"But even if they're not destroying our crops and ruining all our trees, they sort of invade and take over, they build these huge populations in the areas that they invade," he said.
How bad is the spotted lanternfly infestation in Kentucky?
Larson said the nest that had been found had already started laying eggs, typically targeting areas like fences, trees, cars and trains, where they can be easily transported to other areas by different species.
Spotted lanternflies do not bite or sting, he said, and are not dangerous to humans and pets and other animals can only become sick after consuming several of the insects. The species appearing in Kentucky is still an issue because they "reduce kind of the quality of life for areas that it invades," Larson said.
"So you'll see thousands of these over an inch long insect sort of hopping around and flying. They land on people. They also feed on your tree and then they're eating sap," Larson said.
When they eat sap from the trees, they produce their fecal material, which can cause more problems, he said.
"It (the fecal material) gets everywhere. It coats your car, people slip in it," Larson said. "And that annoys people. So we see people not want to go outside as much. They don't want to suffer these insects."
How fast can spotted lanternflies spread?
Larson said how fast the insects spread depends on their travel out of Gallatin County. One of the hot spots scientists are worried about is Cincinnati, where many Kentuckians travel for work on a daily basis and could easily bring them to other parts of commonwealth.
"There's a growing population there," Larson said.
Larson said anyone who spots the insect should document the sighting, kill the insect and send a report to reportapest@uky.edu.
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This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Spotted lanternflies: Invasive species spotted in Kentucky
