[ti:Lanternflies Causing Big Problems in Pennsylvania]
[by:www.21voa.com]
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[00:00.04]The Associated Press (AP) recently reported on what it calls the Great Spotted Lanternfly War.
[00:11.76]On one side are the people of Pennsylvania, what the news agency calls the state's citizen-soldiers.
[00:22.44]Their enemy is a large, colorful insect: the spotted lanternfly.
[00:30.72]Lanternflies are native to Southeast Asia.
[00:34.83]They were first discovered in southeastern Pennsylvania five years ago.
[00:42.00]The insects suck fluids from valuable plants, causing the plants to weaken.
[00:50.28]The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture says
[00:54.11]the invaders could affect fruits such as grapes and also hardwoods.
[01:01.84]It adds that the flies are reducing the quality of life for people in some areas.
[01:10.12]The lanternflies leave their clear, sticky and sugary waste
[01:15.80]on homes, swimming pools and other structures.
[01:21.76]However, Pennsylvania's citizen-soldiers are fighting back.
[01:28.20]The AP reports that they are armed with fly swatters, sticky tape and dish soap.
[01:36.96]People are stepping on them and using chemical poisons.
[01:41.44]Some are reporting their kills on social media.
[01:46.48]And still the invaders come.
[01:49.67]They will fly in your face, land on your clothing and climb down the back of your neck.
[01:58.20]The lanternfly has expanded its territory to include New Jersey, Delaware and Virginia.
[02:07.72]This is causing concern in those states as well as at the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
[02:15.55]which is involved in containment and suppression efforts.
[02:20.60]Researchers are looking for ways to control the insects.
[02:25.10]But "controlling them on a population level
[02:28.64]is almost impossible at this point," said Heather Leach of Penn State Extension.
[02:36.56]Lori Beatrice can relate.
[02:39.26]Large numbers of lanternflies now live around the back of her home in Phoenixville,
[02:46.28]about 50 kilometers from Philadelphia.
[02:50.84]She and her husband have killed thousands, but "we're outnumbered," Beatrice said.
[02:58.80]The insects are a threat to grapes that supply Pennsylvania's $4.8 billion wine industry.
[03:08.76]Dean Scott grows grapes for local wineries around the Berks County community of Kutztown.
[03:16.14]He has been putting insecticide on his vines.
[03:20.52]It works for a few days, but then the insects return.
[03:26.16]One of Scott's fellow growers left the business after losing 16 hectares of vines.
[03:34.28]Scott said, "My fear is that if this continues, we're going to lose the battle here in Pennsylvania."
[03:43.36]Scientists from Pennsylvania State University, Cornell University
[03:48.37]and other organizations are trying to prevent that from happening.
[03:54.88]They are testing chemical and biological methods of control.
[04:00.64]Work crews are removing tree of heaven from public property.
[04:05.36]The trees are an invasive plant that lanternflies like.
[04:11.68]Females are beginning to lay their eggs now.
[04:15.04]So, Pennsylvania is urging its citizen militia
[04:19.36]to remove the egg masses from trees, cars and other surfaces.
[04:26.68]Shannon Powers is with the Department of Agriculture.
[04:30.35]"We're heading into the season where everyday people
[04:34.74]can have the greatest impact on what happens next year," she said.
[04:41.12]If most Pennsylvanians in the Great Spotted Lanternfly War
[04:45.94]are regular Army, Jim Wood is Special Forces.
[04:51.56]To deal with the lanternflies that have been attacking his trees,
[04:57.06]Wood uses a wet/dry vacuum cleaner.
[05:01.40]He goes to work at least once a day.
[05:04.55]He estimates that he has killed almost 40,000 lanternflies this year.
[05:12.48]But even this super-soldier can feel hopeless because of the size of the enemy force.
[05:21.12]"There are some days I just wanted to quit," he said.
[05:26.12]I'm Caty Weaver. 更多听力请访问21VOA.COM