Experts with the Illinois Department of Agriculture have identified the spotted lanternfly in Illinois, in Cook County, which means you might eventually find them down this way.
Like terrible ex-boyfriends, ex-girlfriends, and former roommates, the spotted lanternfly is a beautiful but invasive and destructive pest that can become a massive nuisance. The bugs feed on the sap of a bunch of different types of trees, causing a lot of damage. In the last few years, you have probably read many articles and seen videos of people killing them. If you find them around here, alert local agriculture authorities by sending photos to [email protected]. (Then you can kill them, but make sure you scrape the eggs with rubbing alcohol into a container.)
Read more about it (and how to best get rid of them) through the Illinois Extension newsletter.
