Invasive Spotted Lanternflies Posing 'Serious Threat' To The California Wine Industry
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Every summer we have to deal with record high temperatures, FOMO from everybody else’s vacation pictures, and the scourge of Spotted Lanternflies. Ever since the invasive insect first landed in the U.S. via Asia in 2014, the population has spread throughout the East Coast.
Spotted Lanternflies feed on the sap of over 70 plant species and excrete a sticky substance called honeydew. And just like honeydew melon in a fruit salad, honeydew from Spotted Lanternflies is seriously unwelcome. It prevents photosynthesis and impacts the ability for plants to grow and bear fruit, attracts hordes of insects, and even can sneak its way into our honey supply (yuck!).
And as if there aren’t enough reasons to stomp Lanternflies on sight, they’re now presenting a major threat to an important American industry: wine.
The California Association of Winegrape Growers recently announced that Spotted Lanternfly eggs have made their way to the West Coast. In late March, border protection officials discovered a mass of eggs on a Sonoma County-bound shipment arriving from New York.
While officials intercepted this batch of unwanted visitors, the Association warns that other Spotted Lanternfly egg masses may have successfully hitchhiked their way to California. And, since eggs typically hatch in May and June, wine growers across the state may be seeing adult Spotted Lanternflies in the near future.
Natalie Collins, President of the California Association of Winegrape Growers, claims these insects pose a “serious threat” to not just vineyards, but the entire industry. "Their activities stress the plants, decrease vine health, and in some cases, can lead to plant death,” she said in a statement.
The size of the Spotted Lanternfly population in California is not yet known, and neither is its impact on the wine industry. But if you need any more motivation to stomp out Lanternflies this summer, do it for the Chardonnay.
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