How to kill and track spotted lanternflies, according to an entomologist

there is an insect called the spotted lantern fly it's invaded and invaded is the word 11 states in the northeast and midwest here's what they look like they look like they might be malls but the spotted lanternfly can be identified with by the bright red wings and also the spots a lot of people think they're beautiful gail however these bugs are actually an invasive species that threaten trees they threaten crops they threaten fruit trees and the usda is asking americans to smash them smash these insects if you see them sammy ramsey is an entomologist at the university of colorado boulder he's also known as dr buggs and he shares my shock at this recommendation to kill insects what's going on here guys but this is not something that we frequently tell people that you need to smash an insect but they are spreading rapidly across the u.s and we've got to do something about their populations so they're not supposed to be here they originate from asia exactly what makes them so threatening to to our economy the way that these organisms work they have this mouth part it's like a straw so they can only feed on fluids so they fly around from tree to tree different plants apples peaches even grapevines and they suck the fluid out of the fruit which makes the plant less productive and gives us less of a crop yield and they're a threat to trees as well yeah quite a few that's a problem but it does seem sammy to be murder is there no other way to do it even as a little kid you're told you know scoop it up and put it and put it away because you often hear that bugs have there are some redeeming qualities there are more redeeming qualities and they have families personally they do have families we're making a picture book out of it now dozens of babies they're saying but is there no other way because you also say you you you do need to smash it is unfortunate but we as the research community we want you to choose violence everybody okay i'm sorry i mean these insects are absolutely beautiful when you look at them i mean they give you high fashion they're the billy porter of insects but unfortunately it's no one is concerned about their appearance it's their appetite that's the issue is it because there's so many of them that you just need to smash them they do not have natural enemies so as you said earlier normally we we talk about insects as very important to to the ecosystem but when a creature doesn't have the the other organisms that balance it out it grows out of control and can threaten the rest of the ego if you just don't like the feel of a bug under your foot you don't want to smash or crush or squash can you spray an insecticide i would very much advise against that there are no insecticides that we currently have here that are labeled for usage against these insects and when you use these broad spectrum ones that are not targeted to them you kill a lot of insects that are not the intention um for you to go after so they don't hurt humans though they don't hurt you they don't indirectly though in brooklyn where everyone's afraid they're going to kill the trees and so they're putting like a white tape around the trees to keep them from crawling up and there's also like squads gangs of people who have volunteered to go out and find them and squash these it's bringing families together think about the family togetherness now people are getting together with tennis rackets and just going after these things but let me ask you this you say people should try and catch them before they kill them so it's one thing you see one you smash it which i don't want to do anyway but now you're asking me to bond with it first and then bring it home and then what and then kill my buddy so i'm not asking you to bond with it in certain areas of the country that they haven't reached yet it's actually really important for you to be able to be the eyes and ears for your department of agriculture so in new york just squish them we don't need any more of them uh you don't need to catch them and send them to your your local scientists they know they're here before you go we were so fascinated when we saw the piece on you back in the day you and ben tracy were doing i think about the data yeah absolutely but i'm so fascinated by you because i i think what you do number one i could never do it bugs freaked me out what is it about bugs that is fascinating to you so first of all you got to try it first no i don't you no no don't knock it before you try it i'm knocking it but what is it about it for you that you're so fascinated insects are by far the most fascinating organisms on this planet and the coolest thing you've ever stepped on they are they make up the vast majority of animals on this planet um hundreds of times more biomass from insects than people they beyonce sang a song that said who runs the world she said girls girls i'm gonna have to add an addendum to that girls and bugs bugs truly run this world we would be nowhere without without i'm curious to see what you see when you look at them because i'm totally creeped out it's so good to meet you in person wonderful to meet you as well very excited i'm glad to be here sammy ramsey aka dr bugs i just like saying that books

Channel: CBS Mornings

Views: 17,098

Keywords: video, cbs, news, kill, track, lanternflies, entomologist, squish, dr buggs

Id: 8Xg3HWShhtQ

Length: 4min 46sec (286 seconds)

Published: Thu Aug 18 2022