Invasive spotted lanternfly threatens North Carolina vineyards; Advice: Report it then kill it
A small, invasive insect that was recently identified in North Carolina could be eating away at your next happy hour. The spotted lanternfly can damage dozens of crops, including wine grapes and hops used to brew beer. The insect is native to Asia but has been spreading to nearly a dozen states since it was first discovered on American soil in Pennsylvania eight years ago.
“This thing is going to be such a nuisance, people are going to hate it,” said NC State forestry health professor Kelly Oten, who visited an infestation site in Kernersville, the first established presence of the pest in North Carolina.
Spotted lanternflies can damage more than 100 species of plants, including apples, roses, and other landscape plants, but grapevines are particularly vulnerable. Some infested vineyards reported losing as much as 90% of their crops. Oten says any surviving grapes could taste different, as the bugs suck carbohydrates from plants, altering their sugar content.
Chris Jones, a research scholar at North Carolina State University’s Center for Geospatial Analytics, created a model to predict the spread of the spotted lanternfly and says the pests could reach California wine country as soon as 2027. Jones says the insect likely arrived in North Carolina years before the reported infestation last week. “The biggest problem with the spotted lanternfly is that the detection is really difficult until you get a large enough population,” he said.
The invasive bugs also pose threats beyond agricultural yields. Mating swarms of the flies in other states have disrupted weddings, vineyard tours, and businesses. In 2020, a Chipotle restaurant in Philadelphia had to close one of its entrances for multiple days after hundreds of the flies swarmed the exterior.
Researchers say the insects are “hitchhikers,” laying eggs and burrowing on items from stone shipments to camping equipment traveling across state lines. Researchers say climate change could be encouraging the spread of invasive species, with factors such as temperature and humidity changes presenting new opportunities for them to survive in new environments.
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says treatments are currently in progress to curb the spread of the insects in North Carolina and asks residents to keep an eye out for the insects and their eggs by reporting any encounters through its online reporting tool.
“Basically, report it and then kill it,” Jones advises.
