‘They are going to get into your lives': Spotted lanternfly gains foothold in CT

Another pest is gaining a foothold here in our state. The spotted lanternfly, which first picked up here in 2021, is now starting to be seen en masse.

In short, experts say they are here to stay.

Gerardo Brown only recently started noticing the new pest on the block.

“Right here I see about two, but I will be killing them, and there were two on the peer, that was yesterday,” Brown said.

Now, smashing them is a daily routine.

“When you squash them, nothing comes out,” Brown said.

The city of Bridgeport has released information on the pest asking residents to report sightings and smash it if you see it.

Neighboring Fairfield is asking for the same, titling the pest a “primary issue” facing the town.

“I think we are moving into the next phases because the populations, there are so many moving,” Gale Ridge with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station said.

Experts say the fly has been heading northeast for the last few years, following the 95 and 91 corridors - hitchhiking on cars and trucks.

“This is the first year where we are really getting a lot of reports about high populations,” Ridge said.

She said they won’t be a major threat to the state’s forests. They stress trees, meaning the bigger threat comes when other stresses are present, too, but their population will balance out in years to come.

The larger threat is to local agriculture.

“If they get a good hold, it’s the wine-making industry, the grapes, the vineyards, also the orchards and nursery plants as well, they are going to be putting a lot of pressure on those industries,” Ridge said.

Ridge said the population will level off when predators and diseases realize they are here in numbers. She cautions people not to panic, but get used to them. And yes, you can smash them.

“They are very beautiful, but they are going to get into your lives,” Ridge said.

Brown doesn’t expect his now daily routine of smashing the fly to make a big impact, but he’ll still try.

“Every day, I wish I was getting two dollars for each,” he said with a laugh.

Ridge also noted it's important to keep an eye on your vehicles to ensure you aren’t spreading them.

Also, if you want to catch them when they are still in the nymph stage, you can use inverted duct tape around the base of trees, similar to the style of catching spongy moth caterpillars the state has dealt with in years past.

Just ensure you have a mesh skirt around the tape to keep non-targeted species from getting caught.