PONTIAC, Mich. — An unwanted dinner guest currently sits at Michigan's kitchen table— the spotted lanternfly, a pretty-looking invasive insect with a taste for grapes, apples and ecological devastation.
Last August, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed the lanternfly's presence in Oakland County, as Michigan became the latest state to lose in the battle to keep the insect outside its borders.
But one of Mother Nature's great hitchhikers hasn't seemed to find a ride out of the forest, with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) citing no new detections of the spotted lanternfly in the past year.
“I don't know that we're ever going to say that we're in the clear," said Jennifer Holton, communications director at MDARD. "But I think what we are going to say is that we are doing our best."
In 2014, the invasive planthopper, native to China, planted a stake in American soil— first discovered in a Pennsylvania forest among another invasive species— the smelly Tree of Heaven.
But despite quarantines and catchphrases like "Kill it! Squash it, smash it... just get rid of it," the spotted lanternfly spread from state to state, eventually breaking into Michigan, where multi-million dollar grape and apple industries abound.
"They're bugs. They move." Holton said. "Frankly, people continue to give them a helping hand, moving them from space to space”
If a lanternfly population wound up in a Traverse City vineyard— for example— it would stand to suck profits right from the vine. The insect excretes honeydew that attracts a sooty mold which chokes nearby plants.
"It's a cause for concern," Holton said.
This summer, as lanternfly nymphs hatched from their egg masses, MDARD scoured Michigan forests for evidence of an invasive species out of control. Instead, it found the infestation had not left the forest in Pontiac— at least to its knowledge.
"The spotted lanternfly is something that the state has been preparing for, for years," Holton said, crediting "proactive communication" to the seeming containment.
To keep the bug at bay, scientists have laid net traps to catch the lanternfly and injected the forest's Tree of Heaven with an insecticide. When the insect takes a sip from its preferred plant, it dies.
Still, Holton says invasive species response can't be put in a "little box." Despite MDARD's efforts, containment could be foiled by an out-of-state tourist or stray piece of firewood.
"I don't know that you can make people care. I think you can make people aware," Holton said. "That's really what we're trying to do."
Her advice? If you see a spotted lanternfly, squish it, then play tattle-tale— reporting its presence to the state. If you see lanternfly eggs, scrape them into a plastic bag containing rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. Michigan's farmers will thank you.
"Sure, you probably had breakfast, lunch, and maybe a couple of snacks," said Holton. "Those are farmers who helped make that possible every day."
