Experts Predict This Massachusetts Town Will Experience a Massive Insect Infestation This Year

Spring has arrived in Massachusetts which means the summer season is right around the corner.

While mosquitoes are always a summer nuisance, there are less annoying insects that appear in Massachusetts during the summer months, like ladybugs, dragonflies, and butterflies that add to the state's natural beauty, Unfortunately, mosquitos, flies, bees, ants, and yes, of course, tics are staples of the warmer weather in Massachusetts as well.

One bug that has been popping up all over Massachusetts and the Northeast in recent years is the lanternfly. The spotted lanternfly is an invasive species that is native to China and was first discovered stateside in September 2014 in Pennsylvania. Spotted lanternflies can be spread long distances by people who move infested material or items containing egg masses. The insects feed on shade trees but also on a wide range of crops and plants, including grapes, apples, hops, walnuts, and hardwood trees, making them detrimental to the crops.

This Massachusetts City Has the Largest Infestation of the Spotted Lanternfly

Just a year after it was discovered in Worcester, Massachusetts, the city is now home to the largest infestation in the state's history, according to recent reports from state officials.

In 2023, despite the state Department of Agriculture's efforts to control the species, destroying approximately 5,500 egg masses in Shrewsbury, Fitchburg, Springfield, and Worcester, the latter has still struggled to control the population.

Experts Predict Bridgewater, Massachusetts Will See Lanternfly Infestation

In January of this year, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources issued a warning to the city of Bridgewater indicating the presence of spotted lanternfly egg masses. While the spread of lanternflies can be slowed, other prior infestations shows they cannot be eradicated completely.

The eggs of spotted lanternfly's historically hatch in late April, early May, which is just around the corner.

Across Massachusetts, the public is encouraged to report infestations to the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture.