State Launches Contest For Students To Fight Spotted Lanternfly

Environmental officials in Pennsylvania and around the region are strategizing every possible way to help defeat an invasive pest, the spotted lanternfly, that is wreaking havoc on the local economy and ecosystem.

The latest method: a calendar contest sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture that aims to educate the public about the dangerous bug. The contest asks for artwork from all first through eighth grade students around the state.

Outreach is a crucial part of fighting back against the lanternfly, officials say. It's important for the public to be able to recognize the bug and know how to destroy it.

“When children talk, people listen,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said in announcing the program. "Last year, more than 800 kids helped us tell the story of what this insect is, how it hurts us, and what you can do to help keep it from spreading. Pennsylvania kids are great storytellers and we need their help again.

The bug threatens Pennsylvania's $20.5 million grape industry, $134 million apple industry, $24 million stone fruit industry, and $12 billion hardwood industry, agriculture officials said.

Nymph and adult spotted lanternflies cause extensive damage when they feed, sucking sap from stems and leaves and causing the plant to ooze and weep. Not only does the plant die but the "fermented odor" caused by the feeding, along with the fluid excreted by the insects themselves, promotes mold growth and draws even more insects, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Entries submitted to the contest must include a fact about the spotted lanternfly, along with some piece of original art, on an 11 inch by 17 inch poster. You must submit a contest submission form with the post. The competition runs through Oct. 31.

Entries will be judged in four divisions: first and second grade, third and fourth grade, fifth and sixth grade, and seventh and eighth grade. The top three winning entries per grade will be included in the contest.

Winners will be recognized during the 2020 Pennsylvania Farm Show.

To submit an entry, email it to ra-agslfcalendars@pa.gov or mail to Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Communications Office, Room 210, 2301 N. Cameron Street Harrisburg, PA 17110