New York City is likely headed for another frustrating summer full of invasive pests as experts warn that a massive wave of spotted lanternflies may soon hatch after a winter that was too mild to knock populations back.
Due to milder winter weather conditions, cold temperatures won't have seriously helped to limit the spread of the invasive species in New York City this year, according to the New York Department of Agriculture, as reported by Fox Weather.
Now, experts warn that the invasive insects could number in the millions across the city this year. Fallon Meng, an NYU biologist, explained to Live Science that "cities may act as evolutionary incubators that help an invasive species to better deal with pressures like heat and pesticides, which then helps them to better adapt to new environments."
Gil Bloom, who runs a NYC-based pest control company, told the New York Post that "last year was a little slower than the previous year, but they're new insects in a new environment. So we really can't say with any full degree of predictability what's going to happen this year as they encounter this weather."
And New York has already seen the insect rapidly spread, with half of the state's counties experiencing infestations in just six years since they were first spotted there. Meanwhile, 20 other states are now dealing with the invasive bug, despite the fact that they've only been in the country for about a dozen years.
One NYU study on the spotted lanternfly found that cities' urban environments may actually help the bugs spread, in addition to live longer. Kristin Winchell, another NYU biology professor, who co-wrote the study, said in a press release that "cities tend to have milder winters, creating favorable conditions for species that otherwise would only be able to live in hot, tropical climates. Cities are also highly connected places where trade happens, and organisms may end up on shipments in planes or boats traveling between cities."
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These conditions account for what the New York Post described as a potential "biblical-level plague" that could hit the Big Apple.
For now, though, officials are making clear that public participation can play an important role in slowing the insects' spread as the city braces for another hatch season. Stomp them if you spot them!
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