PENNSAUKEN, N.J. - Spotted lanternflies are an invasive and annoying bug making a full and overwhelming comeback in the Delaware Valley in 2022.Fortunately, there are a few things people can do to stop their spread."They’re destroying trees and plants.
I’ve seen signs to please stomp them," Gavyn Essner lamented. "They are down there in these baby trees. This is four days worth and it’s covered."For three years in a row, Essner has been at war.
It’s a war against the spotted lanternfly. His backyard in Williamstown, N.J. is infested with the invasive bugs. Not harmful to humans, but they are killing off trees and vegetation, and covered just about everything in his yard in a dark, sooty mold."This was the worst year, so far.
The previous years we’ve seen them here and there, nothing major, but this, by far, is the worst," Essner explained. "I had to wrap tape around the trees this year.