HARTFORD, Conn. — State officials are reminding residents to be on the lookout for the invasive Spotted Lanternfly and to kill it if one is found.
These bugs have the capability of destroying over 70 types of plants, including fruit crops and many types of trees. A spotted lanternfly invasion could threaten around half of Connecticut's trees, according to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
Not only can they hop leaf to leaf, but they can also "hitchhike" via roadway through people's cars. They could be hiding inside as an unexpected passenger, hiding in a truck bed or truck cap, or even on the wheel wells, according to the Connecticut Dept. of Transportation. Drivers are asked to inspect their vehicles to ensure the spotted lanternfly is not hitching a ride and spreading.
There are signs reminding drivers at many Connecticut rest stops to prevent the lanternflies from going past state lines too.
There is an Order of Quarantine in effect through Dec. 31 of this year, which requires a business to stop distributing materials infested with spotted lanternflies until the infestation is addressed.
The spotted lanternfly was first found in Pennsylvania in late 2014.
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