Public Project
Pennsylvania Turns To Man's Best Friend To Sniff Out Spotted Lanternfly Infestation
Spotted lanternflies are easy enough to spot, with ruby red streaks beneath black-and-white wings that blend like an abstract expressionist painting.
But six years after the first sightings of them, Pennsylvanians have been told to squash them on sight. They exact a huge toll on agriculture. The insects feed off 70 plant species, including fruit trees and grapevines, and they could cost Pennsylvania $324 million per year in lost crops and 2,800 agricultural jobs if left unchecked.
Lucky, a 19-month-old German shepherd, is the first dog trained to find the eggs of the colorful cousin of cicadas and aphids before the lanternflies hatch and spread their wings.
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