A spotted lighthouse invasion continued across the country and in Kentucky.
What is going on?
According to a Kentucky Office of the State Entomologist Facebook post, the lanternfly started in Gallatin County in 2023 before expanding to 16 counties by the beginning of the year, all north of Fayette.
State entomologists encouraged residents to be careful and help to reduce the spread of the lanterns.
Spotted lanterns, which are usually found on trees or plants, are an invasive hopper from Asia that were introduced to the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014.
“Since then, they have been spreading to other states,” Jonathan Larson, an entomologist at the University of Kentucky, told Lex18.
All of these appear to be indicators that Kentucky is facing a “full-blown invasion,” Larson added.
Why is this invasion concerning?
Invasive species often disrupt the balance of an ecosystem by out-competing native species for food, space, and nutrients. They spread quickly without natural predators and reduce the natural biodiversity that helps regulate disease and protect food supplies.
While plants or trees may not be completely destroyed by pests, fruit trees may be completely lost. Flies attacked grapes, raspberries, blackberries, apples, and peach trees, affecting not only farming economies but often residents’ backyards as well.
They are usually only active from July to December, but warmer winters are making it easier for them to reproduce and lay eggs on everything from mailboxes to cars and trains.
“They’re not good for the environment because they’re an invasive species,” Larson said. “They’re just really thick. They fill things up very thickly, and then once they’re in an area, they become very noticeable.”
But spotted lanternflies aren’t the only invasive threat Kentucky is facing right now; invasive carp have a bounty on their heads in the state, and suffocating Kudzu plants are jumping trees and telephone poles.
What is being done about these bugs?
State entomologists will continue to monitor the spread of this invasive pest. Residents in counties where the spotted bug has not been seen have been encouraged to be alert and send reports to the State Entomologist’s Office.
After that, if you see a spotted lamprey, “it doesn’t have to exist anymore,” Carl Harper, senior nursery inspector with the UK Department of Entomology, told Lex18. “Try to prevent that spread if possible.”
Commenters on the Facebook post quickly shared their own views.
“We saw hundreds of them in Monterey,” wrote one. “Everything above all in one point.”
“There are many along the roads,” added another.
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