Speak Up: Invasive spotted lanternflies abound across the First State

Spotted lanternflies were discovered in the United States around 10 years ago, in Pennsylvania. Since then, they have made their way to Delaware and are having impact on some of the state’s crops.

• My backyard has been invaded with them since May, and the trees, leaves and ground have turned black from them bleeding the trees of sap. — Roseanna Dixon
• We keep a spray bottle of soapy water by our backdoor for them. Spray them down and then squish them. — Samantha Campbell
• Spotted lanternflies have not lived up to their foreshadowed reputation. In early 2022, Penn State University published an article dispelling the myths that had grown up around them, advising readers that lanternflies rarely kill trees. In August, researchers there published results showing that, so far, the insects have not caused nearly as much damage to hardwood trees as once feared. “(I)n a natural setting where the insects are constantly on the move,” they wrote, “we would not expect significant negative impacts on forest or ornamental trees.” Other entomologists and ecologists have admitted as much, too, yet in a recent New York Times piece, they still defended their mass-squishing campaigns. Cornell University entomologist Daniel Gilrein stated there was scant evidence that stomping would reduce populations in any significant way, wrote Times reporter Claire Fahy, “but he noted that the communal effort ‘helps engage the public’ and leads people to feel ‘somewhat empowered.’” — Pamela Alexander Grable