News

Spotted lanternfly monitoring ramping up in IL

Efforts to tack the invasive spotted lanternfly in Illinois are ramping up after its detection in the state last fall. 

Kelly Estes is the Illinois State Pest Survey coordinator…

“It was confirmed in Cook County, so northeast Illinois continues to be a focal point,” she says.

She says the spotted lanternfly could have an impact on the state’s specialty growers.

“It has a very large host range, but it tends to focus more towards our specialty crops rather than field crops.”  She says, “So grapes and even wild grapes are potentially impacted. We also know that they’ll feed on trees. So, you think about nurseries and then also just in general, it’s kind of a nuisance pest.”

Estes tells Brownfield they’re encouraging residents to look for the pest.  

“It’s an excellent hitchhiker.”  She says, “Rail is a huge potential for movement with this particular pest, so we’ll have surveys set up around the state. Even if you’re unsure, we still encourage people to go ahead and take the picture and send it in.”

A link to tips on identifying the insect and more can be found at HERE.

AUDIO: Kelly Estes – IL State Ag Pest Survey coordinator