In the summer of 2020, in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic crisis, hundreds of thousands of red, polka-dotted wings swarmed towards the Tri-State area. As if the masks weren’t enough, the streets were now littered with one of the worst pests to grace New York City: lanternflies. Their primary target being tree and plant sap, within the span of a few months, the Garden State’s gardeners were gardening no longer. Instead, they found their plots in overrun, and began rallying up against these foreign invaders. 

Soon, through social media platforms and even government intervention, the word spread. The message was clear: “Black wings, leave them. Red wings, squish ‘em.” The sidewalks of New York City were littered with crushed lanternflies, with no spare inch of space for those with entomophobia to make their way around the corpses. If we were going to win against these foreign invaders, we had to as a group.

This year, the tides have turned, so much so that The New York Times stated that “if 2020 was the year the invasive insects took New York City, 2024 might be remembered as the year New Yorkers got their city back.” While there are still a few here and there, the city and surrounding areas are virtually lantern-free. Compared to the 31,200 cases reported a few years ago, this year showed a minimal 9,800 cases reported. So what triggered this huge decline in our red-winged enemies? Was it our continued efforts of wrecking our shoes to squish them throughout the years?

Experts say, not really, though the effort was much appreciated. In truth, the environment and world around us has merely adapted to these spotted sap-suckers. Natural predators, such as spiders, birds, and wasps have learned that lanternflies make a tasty meal. In another case, the pests may have chewed through their favorite plants and moved on to locations where plants are more plentiful, such as Massachusetts and Long Island. So, is the four-year-long nightmare finally over for New Yorkers, New Jerseyans, and Connecticuters? 

Unfortunately, no. It is not the time to start celebrating yet. The crimson-winged invaders are predicted to be back. “My gut would tell me that we’re probably going to see some type of a cyclical pattern develop,” Chris Logue, the director for plant industry at the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, told the New York Times. That means, in a few months, we may see the return of the lanternflies, something New Yorkers are now starting to prepare for. Fly catchers, pesticides, and other bug prevention methods are being bought around the tri-state area. 

So, get those shoe cleaners ready. We’re going to have a lot to crush in the coming years. Watch out, our favorite winged menaces are approaching.