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One Jersey City resident captured the invasive species swarming a Jersey City building, and he fears they could harm the newly-planted trees in a nearby park.
"Tens of thousands are on the west side of 333 Grand. They look like they crash into the glass on the upper floors and fall to the sidewalk," Marc Wesson writes in the video.
"We sprayed them with agriculture grade vinegar, and killed most of them. My concern is that they are only a block away from the park, and that kind of infestation would be uncontrollable. What plague is next??"
Native to China, the spotted lanternfly has been detected in 11 states including Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Killing such a beautiful creature seems wrong and counterintuitive, but according to agricultural experts, it's the only option.
"The spotted lanternfly uses its piercing-sucking mouthpart to feed on sap from over 70 different plant species," the NJ Department of Agriculture website reads. "It has a strong preference for economically important plants and the feeding damage significantly stresses the plants which can lead to decreased health and potentially death."
Experts at Rutgers say the spotted lanternfly can feed on more than 70 plant species.
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