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By Angie Sullivan

They are pretty bugs, originally from Asia, with pinkish-grey wings and striking spots. But spotted lanternflies are very bad news for our agriculture and green spaces.
This destructive invasive insect has been confirmed in Windsor, and Georgina residents are being asked to keep an eye out for it.
The spotted lanternfly has not yet been sighted in York Region, according to Dayna Laxton, invasive species specialist with the Regional Municipality of York.
“Early detection is the most successful way to help prevent its arrival and spread,” said Laxton.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed a spotted lanternfly infestation in Windsor on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
According to the agency’s pest risk management decision document, southern Ontario is the highest-risk area for establishing spotted lanternfly, and these bugs pose a risk to our fruit and grape production areas.
Spotted lanternfly is an invasive insect that feeds on a wide range of plants, shrubs and trees, including dogwood, forsythia, rose bushes, grapevines, maple, oak and walnut, as well as a variety of garden vegetable plants.
They do not bite or directly harm humans or pets.
The insect feeds by sucking sap from leaves and stems. It also excretes a sugary, sticky substance called honeydew, which promotes the growth of black sooty mould. They congregate in alarming numbers and are both a nuisance and a danger.
Laxton said, “The spotted lanternfly can cause permanent and costly damage to trees found in the York Regional Forest, local parks and green spaces, along regional roads and local roads and on private property.”
Restrictions have been put in place to prevent the movement of regulated materials, including potentially infested plant material, while the CFIA continues to monitor the surrounding area.
Early detection is the most successful way to help prevent its arrival and spread; remember to:
•Spot it – Be on the lookout for nymphs and adults in the spring and summer and egg masses in the fall and winter
•Snap it – Take a picture or video of the spotted lanternfly
•Catch it – Scrape egg masses, nymphs or insects into a sealable container
•Report it – Report suspected findings immediately to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
To learn more about the signs and stages of spotted lanternfly, visit york.ca/SpottedLanternfly

 

Mike Anderson
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