Spotted lanternfly eggs hatching soon: 'Eliminate' them before they spread, officials say

It's that time of year – when millions of Americans channel their inner "Terminator" and say "hasta la vista, baby" to one of the country's biggest pests: the spotted lanternfly.

In 2014, the invasive species was discovered in the U.S. for the first time in eastern Pennsylvania. Since then, the bug with colorful red, black and brown wings has spread throughout the Northeast, residing in 14 states and causing havoc.

It's why federal officials are trying to spread awareness about the spotted lanternfly, because there are concerns it could spread its outreach in the U.S. and cause more pain. It's already happening this year, with eggs in some places beginning to hatch.

"As it gets warmer, we're going to start seeing a massive hatch," Matthew Travis,

national policy manager for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, told USA TODAY.

How did the spotted lanternfly get to the US?

The spotted lanternfly comes from China. George Hamilton, extension specialist in pest management at Rutgers University, told USA TODAY. Hamilton believes they landed in the U.S. via shipping crate.

Why is the spotted lanternfly bad?

Besides striking fear in the hearts of people who don't like bugs, spotted lanternflies actually do harm plant life.

Travis said they feed on more than 70 types of plants, and they have been known to dine on grapes, affecting vineyards throughout the Northeast.

Spotted lanternflies could weaken a plant enough that it "just can't survive," Travis said.

The bugs also excrete a sugary substance called honeydew "that encourages the growth of black sooty mold," according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Honeydew isn't harmful to humans, but it damages plants and can leave the sticky substance on someone's outdoor gear.

Spotted lanternflies also can just be flat-out annoying. Travis said there were complaints when they overtook New York City last year.

"You didn't have to read very long to realize that people's lives are being affected," he said. "These insects are just all over the place, crawling on all the buildings. They'll hop on you."

Where are spotted lanternflies found?

Since their arrival in the U.S. nearly a decade ago, the spotted lanternfly has migrated west and south and is now found in 14 states, according to the USDA:

• Connecticut

• Delaware

• Indiana

• Maryland

• Massachusetts

• Michigan

• New Jersey

• New York

• North Carolina

• Ohio

• Pennsylvania

• Rhode Island

• Virginia

• West Virginia

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How is the spotted lanternfly spreading so easily?

Spotted lanternflies have a deceiving name because they don't really fly, but rather hop from place to place. So how could something that has trouble being in the air spread so quickly? Because of us, Travis said.

"Human-assisted spreads has really been the main driving force to help disperse spotted lanternfly to all these different states," he said, "They're not great fliers, but they do hitchhike."

Whether it's by truck, RV or train, spotted lanternflies and their eggs can be placed on anything, and if they are moved, they end up in a new area. Because of their ability to survive transportation, some states have quarantine zones, where "any material or object that can spread the pest cannot be moved without taking precautions to prevent that spread."

"If you're in a quarantine area, be aware of it," Travis said.

Could spotted lanternflies move to the West, Southeast?

As officials try to limit the spotted lanternflies in areas they already populate, they consider the possibility that it could spread to the West and Southeast. A 2019 study found the insect could survive in every state in the continental U.S. except North Dakota.

"It's certainly on our minds," Travis said. "We are concerned that this will continue to move West, and we're doing our best at the moment – working with our state partners – to try to control and limit its movement as much as we can, as much as possible."

Federal officials are working on "long-term controls" for the spotted lanternfly, but Travis said they're going to take time to develop based on research. But raising awareness is their best tool at the moment.

"It's hard to speculate if are we going to eradicate them," Travis said. "These long-range controls ... we think that could help us get to the point where you may have a few spotted lanternflies, but they're not really a big deal.

"I think we're going in the right direction."

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What to do if you see a spotted lanternfly or its eggs

Spotted lanternfly eggs typically begin to hatch in May and June, meaning there probably are some egg masses around now.

If you see an egg mass, Travis advises you to report it to your local department of agriculture and scrape it off. The eggs look white and glossy before they turn gray/brown when dried, similar to a smudge of clay, according to the Virginia Department of Forestry.

"That's anywhere from 30 to 50 new spotted lanternfly nymphs that won't hatch now," he said.

As for the adults, the message is the same, Travis said: Take a picture, report it and then stomp.

"Take the extra effort of trying to stomp them or step on them and eliminate them."

Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Spotted lanternfly eggs hatch soon; officials say kill them