Throughout all five boroughs, citizens have faithfully heeded the city’s call to action, which urges them to exterminate invasive lanternflies upon sight. However, the looming question remains: Is this collective effort truly making a dent in the lanternfly invasion?
Originally hailing from Asia, the invasive spotted lanternflies made their initial appearance on American soil in Pennsylvania back in 2014. Since 2020, they have recurrently plagued the urban landscape of New York City during the summer months, and their presence has extended to become a persistent annoyance throughout the Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic regions, and even reaching into parts of the Midwest. Despite not posing any direct harm to humans, these pesky lanternflies have wreaked havoc on agricultural crops, with a particular penchant for causing damage to grapevines.
Kieran Culkin, the acclaimed actor renowned for his portrayal of Roman Roy in the hit series “Succession,” was spotted employing a rather unconventional method to combat the invasive lanternfly infestation in Brooklyn. Witnesses marveled as Culkin, with a single shoe, methodically crushed an astounding tally of at least 70 lanternflies, the number painstakingly audibly counted by those fortunate enough to witness the spectacle. It was a feat that left one bystander in awe, declaring Culkin as nothing short of “a true hero of New York City.”