Why Americans Want These Insects Dead

Why Americans want these insects dead

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.
Check out the video above to find out more about spotted lanternflies and the part humans have played in spreading them around the US.