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Invasive spotted lanternflies that wreak havoc on plants and trees could expand across the country over the next decade, Axios' Jacob Knutson reports.

Why it matters: Lanternfly eggs begin hatching across the United States and in Michigan over the next few weeks.

Researchers estimate that the bug, discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014, could cause billions of dollars worth of losses, primarily in the agricultural sector, as it radiates out from the Northeast.

How it works: Spotted lanternflies, colorful planthoppers native to China, can kill plants with their excessive feeding habits and the sticky substance they leave behind known as honeydew.

The lanternfly doesn't have native predators, meaning its population can expand so quickly that hundreds of them could be spotted on one plant or tree.

Zoom in: Oakland County conducted chemical tree treatments after a lanternfly infestation was detected last summer.

Staff looked for the 1-inch egg masses — they look like brown mud or wet putty — and scraped off the more than 400 they found on trees.

"It's highly likely they weren't able to get 100% of them, so it's possible we will see some new ones this year," the Department of Natural Resource's Joanne Foreman tells Axios.

What they're saying: "We are entering the time of year where we would expect those to be hatching pretty soon, especially with this latest round of warm weather," Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development's invasive species prevention and response specialist Rob Miller tells Axios.

What's next: Officials are encouraging a kill-on-sight policy for residents to help control the pests' growth.

MDARD advises people to squish them and report their sightings here.

Lanternflies could be hatching in Michigan

An infestation was found last year in Oakland County.

Choropleth map of the mid-Atlantic U.S. states showing where spotted lanternflies have been sighted or have infested by county, as of March 14, 2023. Data: New York State Integrated Pest Management; Map: Tory Lysik/Axios Visuals

Michigan

Invasive spotted lanternflies that wreak havoc on plants and trees could expand across the country over the next decade, Axios&#x27; Jacob Knutson <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="reports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/13/spotted-lanternfly-bugs-invasive-species" data-vars-content-id="10557275-55b8-4eda-9b68-08f41932ea24" data-vars-headline="Lanternflies could be hatching in Michigan" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/13/spotted-lanternfly-bugs-invasive-species" target="_self">reports</a>.Why it matters: Lanternfly eggs begin hatching across the United States and in Michigan over the next few weeks.

Climate

Lanternflies could be hatching in Michigan