Lanternfly poop could cause millions in damages

August 19, 2024 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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CITYWIDE — THE INVASIVE SPOTTED lanternfly has the potential to cause up to $300 million a year in damages to New York state agriculture, reports Gothamist. An analysis from the state Department of Agriculture and Markets states in particular that the bugs’ sticky sap-like excrement, known as “honeydew,” which they produce in abundance, attracts a dark species of mold that “interferes with plant photosynthesis,” damaging or killing plants, and could significantly harm the state’s wine industry. The mold from the excrement is also damaging to property, like outdoor furniture, and can ruin car paint; and since the sweet honeydew is attractive to insects, it has the potential to attract swarms of pests like wasps and mosquitoes.

Officials have asked New Yorkers to help destroy lanternfly eggs wherever they are spotted, either by stomping on them or by spraying them with insecticides, and to report sightings of infestations online.

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