If You Ever Spot This Insect — Kill It Immediately: The Spotted Lanternfly Invasion Is Real

It’s a biological threat.

First discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014, this insect has since spread across the East Coast — hitchhiking on cars, plants, and even outdoor gear.

And once it arrives?

It feeds. It multiplies. And it leaves death in its wake.

🍇 Why This Bug Is a Serious Threat to Plants and Trees

Unlike typical bugs that chew or nibble, the spotted lanternfly uses a piercing-sucking mouthpart to drain sap from over 70+ plant species , including:

Grapevines

Maple trees

Apple trees

Black walnut

Stone fruits

Ornamental plants

As it feeds, it excretes a sticky substance called honeydew — which attracts mold and ruins crops.

This isn’t just gross.

It’s devastating .

The honeydew causes sooty mold to grow — a thick black fungus that suffocates leaves and kills entire orchards from within.

Farmers are calling it an agricultural emergency.

Gardeners are calling it a nightmare.

And now, it’s showing up in backyards like mine.