A cargo ship in Brooklyn was put under quarantine due to a Spotted Lanternflies (SLF) infestation.
The ship was transporting cargo from Pennsylvania to Red Hook terminal. It is not clear how long officials will keep the ship quarantined.
NBC reports that the ship will need extensive fumigation after inspectors discovered it carried Spotted Lanternflies.
NBC spoke with a Customs spokesman, and they told the outlet that the origin of the bug is unknown and specialists are “on the scene eradicating this pest threat.”
The Spotted Lanternflies is an invasive species from China, Bangladesh, and Vietnam.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation says that “SLF pose a significant threat to New York’s agricultural and forest health. Adults and nymphs use their sucking mouthparts to feed on the sap of more than 70 plant species. This feeding by sometimes thousands of SLF stresses plants, making them vulnerable to disease and attacks from other insects.
Additionally, they added that “SLF also excrete large amounts of sticky “honeydew,” which attracts sooty molds that interfere with plant photosynthesis, negatively affecting the growth and fruit yield of plants. New York’s annual yield of apples and grapes, with a combined value of $358.4 million, could be impacted if SLF enters New York. The full extent of economic damage this insect could cause is unknown at this time.”
If you are concerned about an infestation of the Spotted Lanternfly, here are some signs you should be looking for according to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation :
• Sap oozing or weeping from tiny open wounds on tree trunks, which appears wet and may give off fermented odors.
• One-inch-long egg masses that are brownish-gray, waxy and mud-likee when new. Old egg masses are brown and scaly.
• Massive honeydew build-up under plants, sometimes with black sooty mold.
If you or someone you know sees a Spotted Lanternfly, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation urges you to take images of the insect, egg masses or infestation, note the exact location, report the infestation to iMapInvasives at www.NYiMapInvasives.org and email spottedlanternfly@dec.ny.gov.
