Kayla Pringle

It’s not often that scientists encourage you to kill on sight, but when it comes to the Spotted Lanternfly (SLF), that’s exactly what they recommend. According to the USDA, if you ever see an SLF, you should squish it and dispose of any eggs found in your vicinity. These critters are a growing invasive threat in the Eastern US and scientists are concerned it could move to the West Coast over time.

These flies are originally from Asia and likely made it to the US by ship. The first U.S. SLF was spotted in Pennsylvania in 2014. One of the main reasons SLFs are so dangerous is because they are planthoppers. This means that they feed on a wide range of plants including grapes, hops, stone fruits, and hardwood trees. Their preferred plant is an invasive plant to the US, the tree

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