
The spotted lanternfly is an invasive pest that can ruin grape, apple and hop crops and do terrible damage to maple and walnut trees. Luckily, man’s best friend is on hand to help fight this insect foe, a new study published in the journal Ecosphere says. Farmers and conservationists have trained dogs to sniff out lanternfly egg masses in vineyards and forests during the winter, before the pests can begin their springtime blight. A Labrador retriever and a Belgian Malinois were more than three times better than humans at detecting egg masses in forested areas near vineyards, researchers found. “A spotted lanternfly infestation in a vineyard can cause 80% to 100% mortality of the vines in one growing season,” lead researcher Angela Fuller, a professor of natural resources and the environment at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, said in a news release from the college. Spotted lanternflies are native to Asia, and likely arrived in the U.S. on goods shipped from overseas, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They were first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014, and have since spread to 18 other states, researchers said in background notes. When the insect feeds, it creates a sticky, sugary fluid that causes sooty mold, the USDA says. Lanternflies lay their eggs on any hard surface, including grills, vehicles, trailers, firewood, outdoor furniture, bikes and toys,… read on > read on >