Michigan DNR Asks For Your Help Finding New Bugs

The emerald ash borer and stink bugs are so last decade.

The Michigan DNR needs your help to find out if a new invasive bug species has made it into Michigan. According to the Lansing State Journal, spotted lanternflies are slowly spreading out toward Michigan. Initially they were discovered in Pennsylvania and now they've spread to Virginia, and New Jersey and been reported in other eastern states.

The DNR's pretty serious about getting ahead of the problem. The current theory is that it's only a matter of time before they get here, due to the fact that lanternflies lay eggs on vehicles, so their kids can hitchhike across America. Lanternflies love fruit trees and grape vines. And what does Michigan have a lot of? Yeah.

Once these things get into an area, they burrow into the inside of a tree and feed on the sap. They then excrete something researchers have named "honeydew". And when you get enough of these lanternflies in trees, the honeydew comes down like rain - covering everything. And it's that honeydew that leads to mold growing on the trees and vines which weakens them. It's going to be a mess. And expensive for farmers to deal with.

Be on the lookout. Here's the story.