Why Americans want these insects dead

Can we actually kill all the spotted lanternflies?
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Over the summer, for the first time in what feels like a while, Americans united under a single cause: to murder an invasive bug.
Okay, that’s a bit dramatic, but the situation itself was a bit dramatic. Social media was flooded with people in New York City, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey striking down spotted lanternflies in the most creative ways. Videos of the plant-sucking bugs that are native to parts of Asia showed them overtaking trees. Reports from Pennsylvania said they were capable of wiping out vineyards. Researchers warned they also threaten fruit trees and the hardwoods like black walnut. The public went on high alert. The messaging was clear: Stop this bug before it decimates the fruit and timber industries and costs the US tons of money.
People struck them down all summer long, and now that it’s fall … well, they’re still here. And they’ve spread.
Is it futile? That depends. If you set out with your flyswatters and sticky traps thinking we could wipe out every lanternfly, then you were a bit misguided. But just because we can’t stop them entirely doesn’t mean we should quit.
Kristie Reddick, an entomologist and director of The Bug Chicks, put it best: “People cleaning trash out of creeks aren't going to be like, ‘Oh, I picked up, like, three bags of trash and there's still more trash. I guess there's just trash now.’” Spotted lanternflies are the trash in this metaphor.
Check out the video above to find out more about spotted lanternflies and the part humans have played in spreading them around the US.
Read more from Benji Jones on Vox.com:
www.vox.com/science-and-healt...
For more on where these bugs are:
datastudio.google.com/u/0/rep...
For more information on lanternflies and their life cycle:
extension.psu.edu/spotted-lan...
extension.psu.edu/have-you-se...
nysipm.cornell.edu/environmen...
nysipm.cornell.edu/environmen...
www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/reso...
For more on the economic impact:
extension.psu.edu/scientists-...
For more on Kristie and Jessica, check out their website: thebugchicks.com/
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[@Vox]

We might not know the actual impact of spotted lanternflies yet, but we do know they won’t be the last invasive species we see. We live in a highly connected world, and species - especially unassuming insects, or plants - can easily hitch a ride to new places where they could wreak havoc on native ecosystems. The good news is that eradication isn’t impossible if the infestation is caught early. In the US, one success story is how California eradicated the European grapevine moth. Read more here: entomologytoday.org/2019/03/08/invasive-species-success-story-eradication-european-grapevine-moth-california/ On the flip side, there are unfortunately more losses than wins. Similar to the spotted lanternfly, the brown marmorated stink bug came to the US in the ’90s; it also eats crops. Populations have leveled out on the East Coast, but the bug is making its way west. Read more here: entomologytoday.org/2018/06/21/invasive-insects-the-top-4-most-wanted-list/ Thanks for watching! -Kim

[@DumbassUsername]

Yo

[@joywolf83]

I HATE stink bugs and yes fly and stink

[@Hermes_Agoraeus]

Since the violence is largely pointless, maybe just don't bother. As you say, humanity and its technology is the root invasive species disrupting ecosystems.

[@04ohgolly1]

Bro they are literally killing all the trees in my area, they are doing major damage..

[@nycashone]

Humans are the most invasive species of them all

[@boopadoop2336]

Every man, woman, and child in my community is on the hunt for them. We are lean, mean, lanternfly-killing machines and we won't ever give up.

[@bawicz0]

I eat them for fun

[@JP-br4mx]

Americans and mass killing.....

[@ajenslowre884]

@@bawicz0 how do they taste

[@yspear_]

@@ajenslowre884 bitter and sweet

[@tomaccino]

Isn't it futile? There's too many of them where humans don't roam.

[@ilovecats8629]

I kind of enjoy that the murderous rampage against these bugs is at least something we can all come together about

[@Sketch1994]

I have long believed that the only thing uniting us is hate towards the others!

[@jonferngut]

how about vegans, do they support this?

[@qnteban]

As humans, it's our time to shine

[@NexuJin]

Any creature that isn't up for domestication by us humans are up for eradication.

[@Hermes_Agoraeus]

@@jonferngut I generally avoid killing insects, and am also mostly vegan, but can't speak for all vegans.

[@TheDagraner4576]

I'm right below Pennsylvania and i've seen northern cardinals and possibly carolina wrens going after these guys in their slower adult stage. The animals are slowly learning about the new buffet of bugs, but the lanternflys are also slowly learning to avoid us a little more than last year.

[@nikolaybondarev7407]

I've been noticing some of the same things in Central PA it truly quite an interesting example of an invasive species and what that means and how quickly something can be naturalized into an ecosystem

[@6idangle]

@@nikolaybondarev7407 I’ve seen so many birds doing awesome work up there hunting them. Financial district Manhattan was flooded with them and they probably got 90% of them. Rooting for our bird friends

[@bratzoguibovich1490]

life itself

[@nighteule]

Yeah, the birds'll take advantage of this

[@josephfisher426]

That would be a very full wren! I saw them in large concentration just once, near several of the also-invasive host trees (ailanthus). I wonder how much it will help to take out the preferred hosts on which the bugs probably laid their eggs.

[@InquisitorThomas]

SO THAT WAS WHAT THOSE BUGS WERE!!! I’ve seen them everywhere during the Summer.

[@InquisitorThomas]

@Zaydan Naufal I’ve actually been playing Cyberpunk recently because of the New Anime and it’s been running pretty smooth.

[@TheRunningLeopard]

Yeah, I’m starting to think I saw some of them this summer pollinating one some of my flowers, but they didn’t attack any of the shrubs around said plants.

[@barsnack7999]

Can you transport some of them to California, beautiful bugs

[@novacentorium4943]

@@barsnack7999 bruh

[@myhandleee]

I SAW A BUNCH OF THOSE IN NEW YORK

[@pavarottiaardvark3431]

I would happily watch Kristie be enthusiastic about bugs and plants for a whole hour long special

[@Jachrya]

3:59 'This plant, you cut it down and it's like HNNNNNRGHH~'

[@ThatDogBarkz]

Yh...shes a trip 🙂

[@CeilingNinja]

Kristie is amazing

[@kiloton1920]

Simp

[@YaBoiWiggles]

These bugs are terrifyingly bold. Try to step on one, it flies away the second you close in on it. They also will just jump on you almost like it's a threat and ride car windows.

[@jiyunpark2037]

It was also a boom in Korea about 10 years ago. It came from China due to increase climate temperature. There is a insect called 'Anastatus orientalis' which is a predector of the latern flies, according to the Korea Environment ministry. By increasing the amount of Anastatus orientalis in conclusion, it is now hardly to find the lantern flies in Korea.

[@melissasullivan1658]

Parasitic wasps are amazing little creatures for an ecosystem. I don’t know what we would do without them! We probably wouldn’t be able to eat tomatoes every summer, that’s for sure. For those interested in bringing these natural predators to your area, keep bugging (ha) Nature’s Good Guys and eventually we can get them to carry them in their catalog.

[@loganiushere]

@@melissasullivan1658 the problem with wasps is they sting us too I’d much rather take 1,000 lantern flies than 1 wasp

[@karikling6751]

If we brought in another predator, I wonder if that predator would also eat our own native insects and create other problems for the ecosystem.

[@BeastGuardian]

@@loganiushere parasitic wasps like Anastatus orientalis cannot actually sting you. These are tiny solitary fly-like wasps are extremely specialized, hunting down lantern bug egg masses exclusively to parasitize with their own eggs.

[@zettarance4173]

ISA NO1

[@khalilahd.]

I’ve seen these EVERYWHERE this summer and seeing why they’re here and what this means is super helpful so thank you 😊

[@philo2189]

I've never seen them lol

[@b.n9076]

Why do I see you everywhere, from the Asian guy pharmacist studying tips to here 😭

[@everykelmemeiscanon3437]

I see you everywhere.

[@VinnytotheK]

Woah, wasn't expecting to see you here Khalilah! Love your videos!

[@junkwonoh7400]

Same exact bug invaded Korea about 10~20 years ago from China, and I have seen those bugs a lot in the past but number seems to have decreased nowadays in Korea. I hope US finds a good solution.

[@AaronShenghao]

They can be eaten by other bug eating animals. They just need to learn and eat them.

[@hyeonsangyu]

The few researches were made at that time, and one of the factor of their survivor rate (egg hatch rate) is the winter temperature. harsh winter struck korea in early 2010s, as of the number has exponentially decreased.

[@marconeri5375]

I went to New York 1 month ago, and it was FULL of those insects, I remember seeing an ad about killing them since they are invasive, so I started stepping on every single one I could see😂 we don't have it in italy, but as a tourist I still did my part, because we also have an invasive insect problem, (cimice asiatica) a bug from China that is destroying all the fruit fields across the north of the country

[@I.____.....__...__]

Funny how most invasive species seem to come from China... 🤔

[@loading1345]

@@marconeri5375 thank u for ur efforts! Haha

[@BeachioSandschannel]

Anybody who says that killing the spotted lanternflies hurts Mother Nature doesn’t care for her at all.

[@wilberforce95]

As a person from ground zero of invasion (southeast PA), I can confirm that they are a big problem. One of my friends even wrote the article at 2:37 lol!

[@mysta9526]

Nice

[@gweniverellewellyn]

Also from southeast PA, these things are step on site.

[@terramater]

So interesting to see what we can do about these "intruders"! Our crew filmed a very similar topic. Lionfishes were also brought to the ocean in Florida and basically messed up the whole ecosystem because they eat so much! While the solution for lanternflies is for us to smash them, for lionfishes, it lies more on us eating them...

[@BHuang92]

It's hard to eat a poisonous fish that is generally unedible unlike a pufferfish.........

[@sarasnake9954]

@@BHuang92 Lionfish are venomous, not poisonous. They can be hazardous to prepare because of the spines, but there’s nothing dangerous about eating them. And they’re reportedly quite tasty (haven’t had a chance to try one yet)

[@AquaticFlapper125]

@@BHuang92 lion fish are fully edible if you remove the spines

[@Zenocius]

@@sarasnake9954 Had them before, they taste like groupers actually

[@edu7979]

@@sarasnake9954 ive seen people fishin em specifically on rivers so they def taste good

[@Bxu021]

“You cut it down and it’s like “oh yeah?” UNGHHHHH” 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@1256778]

3:56 😆

[@aokimi7190]

i laughed at this too 🤣😂

[@Bxu021]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@nighteule]

A lot like willows XD

[@danielawesome36]

Wolverine moment

[@MiloticFan]

Yeah I’ve lived in Eastern PA my entire life, & let me just say lantern flys are unhinged & fearless. At least in Philly, they’ll jump right on your face like you’re a tree or something😂

[@CitizenKen1]

Grew up in Philly as well, they are here and have been here for a few years now. They seem to be better at jump out of the way of people before you can step down on them than in previous years. They’ve been bold enough to thrive in the city as well.

[@MiloticFan]

@@CitizenKen1 yup! It’s like good luck stepping on a lantern-fly, they are super quick & jump-glide away before your foot even hits the ground

[@karateman302]

@@CitizenKen1 We're weening the slow jumpers out of their gene pool lol

[@whitedeion598]

@@MiloticFan the trick is to step on them from the front. They can't jump backwards. I've stepped on well over a thousand of these bugs this year. They rarely get away.

[@PrairieKass]

I'm a trucker, I have yet to see any of these but our entire company has the compliance stickers on all our trucks and we are supposed to check for them whenever we go through the areas they exist, but I highly doubt anyone actually does that check

[@insederec]

It's a lot to ask of an already overworked workforce

[@TheMissingLink2]

If the vehicles are cleaned every once in a while, it's not a problem.

[@bayersbluebayoubioweapon8477]

Attitudes like yours are harmful

[@bayersbluebayoubioweapon8477]

@@orangeusername1792 if you can’t handle being a big boy who complies by standards set to ensure the safety of millions of Americans, why don’t you stop being a trucker, boy?

[@pipsapossu1699]

@MeChupaUnHuevon something wrong with you if its the monetary loss your afraid of

[@Luboman411]

I live in NYC. The first time I saw these critters was out in suburban NJ this summer, near a large park. I thought they were squee adorable. That's when I learned from friends that they were invasive, destructive and that I needed to squash all of the ones I saw. So I went on a squashing spree in NJ. But that was months ago. I was hanging out at an outdoor patio at a bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn this past Friday. Lo and behold I see one land right in front of me and my friend as we were drinking beers--my very first one here on this side of the Hudson River. I squashed it. But they've now invaded NYC. I feel that's not good?

[@nickcook7408]

Get more spiders

[@cheddarsunchipsyes8144]

@@nickcook7408 spider 😩🤝😩

[@eric2500]

Not good, no!

[@nephalemmadeline]

When the bugs and birds were also killing the invasive bugs “The most ambitious crossover since avengers infinity war”

[@jaredorlov609]

I’m a freshman at Dickinson College and they are everywhere. Never heard of or seen them before in New York City where I grew up. But here, I can’t go a day without seeing them.

[@siddharthgianchandani2920]

great, now i'm not gonna apply there!

[@YazzyDream]

I saw and was landed on them in midtown this summer so it maybe gotten worse. Lol

[@katies2067]

@@YazzyDream same here. I saw several this summer on the sidewalks of Manhattan

[@chubbs.mp3435]

They’re every where in Harrisburg, I’ve stopped seeing them recently though when it started getting colder.

[@simsley5501]

Yeah now there are so many in the nyc area

[@poiifect]

I laughed so hard when it said "Spotted lantern-flies were ABSOLUTLY harmed during this video"

[@lebrown5075]

"At this point, it's too late to stop them completely. Eradication is not on the docket anymore. We missed that boat. That ship sailed. And so now it's about mitigation and management and control." Yeah I understand this, the same thing happened with covid

[@themanman1549]

I read this as it played lol

[@cheddarsunchipsyes8144]

Same thing with literally any disease ever

[@LutraLovegood]

@@cheddarsunchipsyes8144 Except for things like measles, cholera or the bubonic plague, which are now exceedingly rare in industrialized countries.

[@AaronShenghao]

3:58 I love this part

[@shitzuation]

Omg I can’t stop repeating this bit…cracks me up every.single.time 😂

[@badyG]

same💔😭😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@nooperspism]

Saaame. This woman is hilarious.

[@Eli-ss9gj]

I visited Pittsburgh last month and they were EVERYWHERE. Also been seeing more and more of them in my home state of Maryland 🫤

[@frozenlama23]

It's so annoying rs I was at a pirate game today they were everywhere

[@xplayman]

These things have been all over the airfield at the airport where I go to school. They were covering the wheels entirely and hanging out on the struts. A couple of them hitched a ride in our cabin on a few trips. We had even seen swarms of them at around 1,500 ft. Seeing these bugs splatter on the windshield after getting chopped up by the propeller was satisfying. But one time, one of these bugs got chopped up and shot into the cabin air intake, hitting my instructor's chest.

[@MikeA15206]

And your planes are carrying them around.

[@captainngoose]

I'm in an insect identification community on reddit, and the absolute boom of posts asking us what they were has increased a LOT in the last two years. Its ridiculous.

[@tianwang3768]

Not an expert but I was given the impression that these bugs only live in temperate environments and not sun belt climates. I grew up Southern China near HK and I have never seen them until this year in Pennsylvania. But my friends from Beijing immediately recognized them. Hopefully that means they will be largely contained in the North

[@SergeantExtreme]

No. They're a problem in South Korea, so they can tolerate the warmer climates.

[@eric2500]

Well climate change is pushing everything hotter in general, and TBH the ecosystems of the North ( Us and Canada) are already under stress from this and other invasives from mostly China, but also other parts of Asia. It's the container ships, the products, the packaging.

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

"I'm doing my part!" *S TO M P* To put into perspective of an invasive species becoming out of control and destroying trees, because of a failed fur trade industry where the Argentine government shipped North American beavers to Cami Lake/Fagnano Lake in Tierra del Fuego back in 1946, beavers have been destroying long-protected trees, and they threaten six million hectares. Unlike trees in North America, these trees don't regenerate when destroyed.

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Another story: the Partula snails of the South Pacific. Giant African land snails were introduced as a new food source for several Pacific islands. However, it led to an infestation of them. To solve it, it was decided to introduce the carnivorous rosy wolfsnail (native to Florida and Georgia) to the islands to combat them. But it did quite the opposite, instead of going after the invasive giant African land snails, it went after the smaller native Partula snails. As a result, 51 Partula species are extinct, 11 extinct in the wild, and 13 critically endangered. Never underestimate an invasive species. Once the ecological balance is disturbed, it won't stop unless we do our part

[@nunyabiznes33]

What's worse that bringing in an invasive specie? Bringing in another to deal with it.

[@rejinraj1599]

"Spotted Lanternflies were absolutely harmed in the making of this video"; that's some disclaimer LOL.

[@hungryepicboys8895]

Seems like these are all over the East coast, NY and NJ for sure from what I’ve seen

[@CitizenKen1]

From PA right right here, can confirm they are everywhere in this state! Even being in a major city you won’t avoid them.

[@misterosc]

3:56 more from this woman please

[@giantalaskanworm719]

she's such a mood 😂

[@aSadFcuk]

not a single "doing our part" or "would you like to know more" joke in a battle against bugs, my dissapointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined.

[@DiogenesOfCa]

Where is Johnny Rico when you need him?

[@davidj5910]

I live in Philly and they were REALLY bad last year. This year not as bad but when I went to New Jersey they were everywhere.

[@eveenala]

Yeah I was in Philly last month and didn’t really that many? Last year we were killing them left and right. This year I maybe saw 3?

[@teteteteta2548]

In Jersey they legit swarm the pine trees and the buildings, I think in a year or two they are going to start eating people

[@eveenala]

@@teteteteta2548 IF they can manage to land on them...

[@marcheskitv]

As a fellow New Jerseyan, there were so many last year. This year I see ‘em every so often but not as much as last summer.

[@aternias]

I live in south Jersey, it’s BAD here

[@BlvxkByrd]

I've killed like a million of these and that's not even an exaggeration, more like an underestimation. I worked security at a remote location in NJ for a bit and it was incredibly laid back. I just monitored 5 guys in a small warehouse in the forest and most of my job was spent slaughtering Lanternflies that flew into the warehouse through the open bay doors. I had a broom and every 5 minutes I had to sweep the mass of bodies out of the warehouse.

[@a50ftfall6]

4:00 Thats probably the best description of a tree I've ever heard

[@rickyquinteros7100]

0:05 bro got smooshed like a goomba 💀

[@DownWith1HUpWith76Os]

Why not just bring over their natural predator to manage their numbers? The rabid laser-eyed cyborg tiger.

[@rjfaber1991]

I think you can ask Australia and New Zealand what happens when you try to introduce natural predators... Not sure if they have experience with the rabid laser-eyed cyborg tiger though. 😁

[@solar3013]

Only going to cause more problems by bringing in more non-native species, if that is what you are alluding to

[@sirnukesalot24]

That suggestion is exactly where the border between a shipping "accident" and voluntarily terraforming your ecosystem to death on behalf of another continent's wildlife lay Not good.

[@Caterfree10]

What Robert said and also I’m fairly sure Hawaii has some stories about not doing well to control new invasive species with an invasive predator (to the tune that the Pokémon region of Alola, based on Hawaii, has a couple Pokémon lines based on that!).

[@aishvetorah5704]

Australia send their regards

[@Berkana]

3:55 was my favorite part of this video. That impression of the tree sending up shoots was meme-worthy.

[@eric2500]

They move FAST! They are all over my Brooklyn NY backyard and even on a building on Sixth Avenue!

[@KyaniMosaic_Crone]

We worked ab event in York, Pennsylvania 3 weeks ago & these things were EVERYWHERE. I spent a good part of the day keeping them out & off of our tent. One spot I did notice them clustering was in the arch where the tent poles for the shade canopy connected right above the door. This wasn't the highest arch, there are 3 others exactly like it but this was above the only entrance to the tent. Not knowing these were there we didn't bring anything & honestly, considering where we live doesn't have them but we do have a beautiful National Park we would not have worked this event. In just 1 afternoon I used an entire large can of Lysol killing them in the arch because we were worried they had marked that with a pheromone & were laying eggs there. The others I discovered blue name brand Windex kills them. Went through a ½ bottle of that too. It wasn't night time when we left & they has died down. We went over our car with flashlights to make sure we didn't bring any home, even under the hood. Then 1st thing next day we went to a car wash with an under carriage wash & let them know where we had been just in case we missed any. As for our 12 persons 3 room cabin tent? I contacted DNR. They had us spray the entire bag with Ortho Home Defense & put a zip tie through the Zippers so nobody opens the bag. We finished camping for the year so luckily this bag won't need to be opened until May. When we do need it again we will set it up in our yard carefully inspecting each inch of canvas & spray the entire tent & inside the tent bag with the Ortho Home Defense. We can't let Lantern Bugs take over & ruin our local eco system like the brown stink bugs from Asia did. They killed off all our green ones & cause so much crop damage for local farmers & orchards.

[@Jaysin999]

Yaa knoww, them resting on the arch of ur tent, is verryyy similar to three of them perched ontop of my backyard door. Just casually sitting there and occasionally fall off bcuz their pretty clumsy as well

[@Delvis343]

I live in York, PA and I’ve killed so many of them. One day I sat outside my house with a flyswatter and killed 70 of them on a tree, the sidewalk, on my house. They are everywhere here- you’re right!

[@ComradeFer]

I’m in the US and I had no idea about any of this

[@ItsAsparageese]

Whereabouts? I've never heard of or seen these either, but I'm in Colorado so most types of bugs aren't significant issues here (although that's shifting somewhat with climate change)

[@ComradeFer]

@@ItsAsparageese California, Bay Area

[@ItsAsparageese]

@@ComradeFer Ah right on, I'm glad that places-where-these-haven't-reached at least still encompass such distant and different areas as ours

[@lIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII]

4:02 that face is pure gold

[@aliasfakename8076]

"No flamethrowers" There goes my plan

[@amaraw9893]

The laternflies watching this: 😟

[@goatmeal5779]

So we're waging war on bugs now. nice

[@fuffoon]

In Europe, actually everywhere, is also the pine beetle. The speed and breadth of the devastation is just mind blowing. I have the only remaining pine hedge in the neighborhood thanks to injections for the trees but its only a delaying strategy.

[@eric2500]

Pine beetle in the western US has destroyed forests already weakened by drought. Which means we have to try to grow new tree for heat reduction_ in a drought.

[@jacksongatens2419]

All of my life I lived in Southern New Jersey, and had never seen or heard of the Spotted Lantern Fly. However this summer I moved Northern New Jersey and have seen hundreds of them since.

[@knpark2025]

Been there, done that. It will decrease in numbers when either your local predators learn to eat those bugs or a harsh winter freezes them to death. Same thing happened 10 yrs ago in South Korea.

[@joywolf83]

5:08 they dont freeze to death. They just wait till spring to hatch

[@knpark2025]

@@joywolf83 hence not just any winter.

[@TheAkumaChan]

there were so many and flew onto my shirt and hair. I almost cried that morning

[@VIKclips]

"no flame throwers" -me " oooh.." Goes back to his room with a flame thrower...

[@Emshii_]

Thank you for explaining this so well, I’m Canadian and I’ve been super confused what’s been happening lately

[@artemis4575]

I just saw one on a walk in Baltimore, i was wondering "what a peculiar insect"

[@johndoobus]

I saw so many of these in Upper Hill in Pittsburgh. Weirdly I saw none in the main part of the city.

[@amandapatrick827]

I've been hiking out around the south side, if you take the time to examine any of those hanging vines in the woods, there's gotta be like a billion in Pittsburgh alone... by my estimation. 🤣

[@Zack_Zander]

“Now I’m gonna feel bad about killing you, cause now I have an emotional attachment to you” Too relatable.

[@dennis_duran]

Omg as a Philadelphian, these things are just a part of everybody’s lives. It’s like the weather.

[@truthboom]

they still do less damage to forest than humans did

[@khalilahd.]

Exactly 😢

[@Quignin]

Sad fact

[@WlatPziupp]

If any other species comes close to doing the damage we've done the forests won't exist any more

[@20motu08]

THANK YOU!

[@TheRach995]

yes, but in places like Massachusetts people have put an extensive effort into reforesting and preservation, and the lanternflies threaten that.

[@savannahhenry8323]

I just moved from Georgia to Conneticut and no one told me I was entering into the epicenter of weird bugs and vector-borne diseases and now this, great,

[@duo317]

"Don't use home made flamethrowers", At least I got a couple summers with that done.

[@Vortecus]

"I'm doing my part!" *stomp*

[@tanatadnoon1898]

3:55 literally the best description

[@wacokidjim1973]

Good thing Canada doesn't exist in your map Moth must just get to the border and go "welp, nothing here"

[@AegisAuras]

Oh I remember seeing one of these at the end of summer. It was memorable because I had never seen one because and I thought “oh look a new bug.”

[@chivixta]

I never knew why everyone hated these guys since I didn’t mind them but like I guess I can see why now. They looked really cool to me lol

[@ronc4752]

living in PA you see them everywhere, and they jump high and fly

[@legen_dharyll]

This short video gave me a roller coaster of emotions

[@techneti_um]

It’s so weird seeing all the lanternfly stuff this year because I’m from PA and it was way worse a couple years ago, yet barely got widespread coverage

[@techneti_um]

Spotted lanternfly early access

[@perwiratempur]

You folks are the next best thing after Great Big Story ended 😊

[@syedraidarsalan4685]

Same feeling dude.

[@notamemethememe589]

The end of Great Big Story was heartbreaking 😔

[@lubue5795]

On thing that seemed to me to be missing in the video is why they can spread so uncontrolably. They don't seem to possess any special defensive ability or strategy that would make it harder for natural pest controls to keep them in check. The video even confirmed this when you addressed birds and other insects attacking them. So why can they spread this quickly? Is it just because the lay so many eggs that natural predators can't keep up?

[@rjfaber1991]

Usually it takes time for predators to learn that these new species are suitable prey. Yes, birds will learn to eat them, but it will take a while before it's truly second nature to the entire local bird population.

[@JArtsChannel]

I bet predators were freaked out by the bright red wings. Any bright coloring on bugs tends to mean poison.

[@fwizzybee42]

Also they’ve been here for eight years…the spread is really not that absurd when you consider hitch hiking insects on vehicles.

[@prairielily08]

Their preferred food, the tree of heaven, happens to be a weedy tree that's hard to remove so it grows all along roads, along train lines, on the edges of parking lots, under bridges, near shipping ports, airports, etc. They lay a ton of eggs, and they'll lay them on literally anything. So they hitch rides very easily by hopping onto train and truck shipments and into people's trunks, by laying their eggs on stuff, and there's food everywhere they go because they feed on this incredibly widespread weed and also a huge list of other plants like grapevine, apple trees, walnut, maple, cannabis, etc.etc.etc. Also birds and insects didn't seem to like the taste of them at first. The tree of heaven smells kinda bad so I assume they taste disgusting.

[@eljanrimsa5843]

In their home range their populations are mainly controlled by parasitic wasps. In America they reproduce with the same numbers that beat the wasps at home - and with no wasps around they dramatically increase the population.

[@Feashis]

I love how you had to come in and say no to flamethrowers

[@Scam_Likely.]

I love that americans have to be told multiple times not to immediately start using flamethrowers lol

[@NY_7]

I know the birds and other animals will eventually start to find more interest in eating the Laternfly. But, i think we should be actively hatching and raising birds of all kinds to specifically love to eat the Laternfly. Birds will have way more success at helping to drastically lower the numbers than a human alone can stepping on and crushing eggs.

[@random_person3191]

4:22 this is why mantises are one of my fav animals- they are helping people :) (their also really interesting creatures)

[@semipenguin]

The trucking company I work for has sent out memos on the spotted lanternfly. Thankfully, I spend most of my time in Minnesota.

[@--Paws--]

This has been tried with the kudzu bug, in the southeast states, and tried this with the kudzu plant in the northeast states, ironically that bug did not control the plant that it eats. North America/the US has tons of plants and animals: non-native pythons and boas in Florida, the nutria in the midwest, the carp in most rivers, the palm weevil in California, monk parakeets in New York, the long horn beetle, the tree of heaven plant, etc.; so many invasive species not many of them can be controlled and most have become native. The plantain plant no not the banana relative but a "weed" in your lawn has settled in North America ever since settlers have colonized; rats, cats, dogs, horses, etc., all have become feral. The horse ironically once roamed North America tens of thousands of years ago, however.

[@xdae]

I remember last year they were so clueless and were easily squished. This year they evolved into super ninjas and can see an assailing foot a mile away.

[@rssyng]

lol

[@LutraLovegood]

Man-made selection in the work.

[@UnCursed]

me as asian: yes.

[@spectex304]

Yes

[@LebrancConvas]

lol.

[@shreyasdharashivkar8027]

Who created Corona virus? Asian kid:- peposweat

[@fa100da]

@@shreyasdharashivkar8027 Twitch frog 🤢

[@luissantiagomijareso.2450]

@@shreyasdharashivkar8027 I'm very sad for your mother. She had to have you been born.

[@margaretwilson8736]

I saw them around Pittsburgh this year. There were 1000s of them sitting on the stone walls on our bridges. I did what I could, but you know. They're prolific.

[@AK-tu7ng]

I flew to NY this summer from SF, those bugs were the first thing you noticed as soon as you exit the airport.

[@scottmarquardt3575]

I recently heard that Seattle is full of the brown recluse spider when I left Seattle at 20, in 1990 here was nothing poisonous and that spider is not recluse it smells me down in Sioux falls

[@vespers119]

... what?

[@TheRach995]

used to live in tri cities, the brown recluses reached out there too, probably because of the agriculture. also i hate to be the bearer of bad news but there have definitely been black widows all over WA for years.

[@ItchyKneeSon]

You know an informational video's going to be good when there are 3 murders shown within the first 5 seconds.

[@ayanverma5746]

Nature :- my "i told you" moment has come

[@mishaa7263]

the Aussies are laughing at this medium size bug

[@Blu_Moon_Owl]

In New York and in Staten I’ve seen a bunch but didn’t know what they are. Plus they’re pretty so didn’t bother them. Guess it time for more eradication

[@arduous222]

New here? We in Korea had the invasion of this exact insect (Chinese cicada, we called it back then) being everywhere around 15 years ago. Strange it did not show up after a year or two. Similar would happen there I guess.

[@shuhratkessikbayev8886]

"No flamethrowers" There goes my Tuesday evening plans

[@derrickhageman1969]

the one environmental change I know will most likely happen is the increase of predatory insects like wheel bugs and mantise and other predatory inverts but the good thing about mantises it's that they are not bothered by bright colors of most foul tasting bugs

[@tuxedobob2]

That part from 5:21 to 5:43 is probably worthy of a 10-hour miniseries if it doesn't already exist somewhere.

[@dya3344]

Ahhh I hated them so much...In LIC and NJ those insects were everywhere. Every time I went out of my apartment I saw them crawling and bunch of them dead too. I'm just so scared of insects I had to jump around so I don't squish them...Although I probably should have squished them 🙃 I was just so terrified...

[@markoth-d9m]

never new what those little things were until I took a trip to Tennessee, we took a stop in Pennsylvania and found a red robin. There were hundreds of em' at the door, the kids were scared to even walk near them.

[@deeplinked3061]

we need someone with the skills of Dwight Schrute for this mission

[@carolinapires361]

I was very confused when I was in new York a couple of months ago and saw a dude AGGRESSIVELY step on what I though were pretty moths 😅

[@6idangle]

I’ve seen birds absolutely mauling them, they cleared them out of parts of Manhattan

[@loading1345]

Omg good to hear

[@TheRealHatsune]

I live below PA so I’m shocked I’ve never heard of this

[@blaquenoise]

I live in Massachusetts and work in pest control, but I never heard of these until just now.

[@dumbitc11]

i live in ma as well and i have also never heard of or seen one of these

[@emm2summer261]

I live in Indiana, and I haven’t seen one yet, but I won’t be surprised if they start to appear next year

[@ailimaj]

I used to see these bugs all the time until fall

[@aba9502]

I love how they have to remind the viewers to NOT use flamethrowers on these bugs.

[@ayanverma5746]

When you try to oversmart the nature

[@westwoods7675]

So why not import some of its natural predators over here? Same with what we did to deer populations when we reintroduced wolves?

[@Stipopedia]

That would just bring in another invasive species that might start eating local insects instead.

[@InquisitorThomas]

@@Stipopedia Okay guys so we’ll just import even bigger predators to deal with the invasive predators! I want Komodo Dragons in Brooklyn before the end of the week!

[@Del11k]

Just look at what happened in Australia with the Cane Toad. This is why you should not import other species.

[@DavidCruickshank]

Importing one potentially harmful invasive species to defeat another invasive species doesn't strike me as a good idea.

[@awesomemantroll1088]

Look up Bunny Island near Japan. It looks like science fiction, but it's real. I don't understand what your context is, but my guess is that wolf populations were released into their native ecosystem.

[@mazocco]

3:56 I was not expecting that LOL