LYNCHBURG, Va. – You may have noticed something different flying around outside lately. Sightings of the spotted lanternfly are increasing in the Commonwealth.
These insects are invasive. Virginia Tech Professor Eric Day said they are backyard pests, and they feed on grapes.
Wythe, Carroll, Rockbridge counties, and Lynchburg City are under a lanternfly quarantine as of August 1, 2023.
Day said this has an impact on truckers or people transporting goods from Virginia.
“People doing their own inspections for the spotted lanternfly, making sure their cargo is not carrying it when they go,” Day said. “This is all driven from external sources, so other states don’t want spotted lanternflies.”
If you just see one or two in your backyard, Day said, do your part, squish them.
Read more on the invasive species by clicking here.