New York State Residents Told To Kill ‘Destructive’ Asian Pest

Top officials are coming up with plans to deal with a A "destructive invasive pest" from Asia that's hard to kill, but spotted across New York.

The USDA released its 5-year plan to battle the Spotted Lanternfly.

Asian 'Destructive Invasive Pest' Spotted All Over New York, Hudson Valley

The Spotted Lanternfly is an invasive planthopper from Asia. Over the past few years, it's been spotted in the Hudson Valley and across New York State.

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Seen In Orange, Rockland, Westchester, Sullivan, Delaware, Albany, Yates, Suffolk, New York, Kings, Monroe, Chemung, Erie, Ontario, and Nassau counties

In the past, several individual adult SLF have been found in many counties across New York including Ulster, Orange, Rockland, Westchester, Sullivan, Delaware, Albany, Yates, Suffolk, New York, Kings, Monroe, Chemung, Erie, Ontario, and Nassau counties, the DEC reports.

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USDA Releases Five-Year Strategy to Combat Spotted Lanternfly

The USDA released it's plan to try battle the Spotted Lanternfly. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal worked with the Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Spotted Lanternfly Strategic Planning Working Group to come up with the plan.

New York State Residents Told To Kill

The New York State DEC wants all residents who find any SLF to collect a sample, to contact the DEC and kill any additional Spotted lanternflies.

"After you have reported SLF in your area and collected a sample, you should kill any additional SLF you see by stepping on it or crushing it," the DEC states.

Hard To Kill

However, officials from the lower Hudson Valley say these pests are hard to kill and stomping doesn't always work because they are quick.

According to the Westchester County Parks Department, the recommended ways to kill Spotted Lanternflies include using power washers and vacuum cleaners because stomping them doesn’t always work.

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"The Spotted Lanternfly is a sap-sucking, threatening invasive species that can cause significant damage to parks and wooded areas as feeding stresses plants, making them vulnerable to disease and attacks from other insects. They are identified by their black or red-spotted nymphs as juveniles and look more moth-like with white wings as adults. If found, it is best to kill them," Westchester County Parks states.

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