Spotted lanternflies have plagued Lafayette’s campus and the Lehigh Valley as an invasive species since September 2014, wreaking havoc on the biodiversity of the area. However, a study of spotted lanternflies being conducted inside LaFarm’s newest greenhouse has the potential to be the solution to this nearly decade-long problem.
Kyle Kaye, an employee of East Stroudsburg University working as a collaborator for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is using the greenhouse to help develop biocontrols for spotted lanternflies.
Biocontrol is a method of controlling pests by using other living organisms.
“After learning about the potential damage that the spotted lanternfly could cause to many farms and businesses, I wanted to be a part of learning how to control the pest,” Kaye wrote in an email.
LaFarm’s greenhouse is vital to Kaye’s work, as the USDA researcher had not been able to find a greenhouse to exactly suit their research needs regarding tempered climate control.
Read more at lafayettestudentnews.com