DMV bug boom: Ticks, lanternflies and mosquitos are swarming

🪰 Driving the news: Congress is swatting at spotted lanternflies, native to Asia and rapidly spreading across the Mid-Atlantic.

• A bipartisan bill introduced last week would fund projects to curb their spread.
• The pests damage vineyards, orchards and gardens — and leave behind a sticky "honeydew" (emphasis on ew) that promotes mold.

Meanwhile, officials recommend a see-and-squish approach.

😱 The vibe: "Ticks EVERYWHERE?" per a NoVa subreddit.

• Tick-related ER visits nationwide were at their highest levels in May/June since 2019, according to CDC data.

By the numbers: The Northeast region was hardest hit: 229 tick bites for every 100,000 ER visits, up from 167 last June.

• In early July, D.C. confirmed Lyme disease across all eight wards, according to the Washington Post — nearly 40 cases.

The cause: Warming, mild winters fuel a tick boom — especially for southern species like the Lone Star Tick, which can trigger a meat allergy disease.

• Meanwhile, a soggy spring and summer created ideal breeding grounds for mosquitos.

💡 Yes, but: You can thank the weather for more of our favorite summer critter: lightning bugs.