The Ohio State Fair wants fairgoers to kill these invasive bugs on sight

The Ohio State Fair has tasked its visitors with a very important mission and given them a license to kill.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to kill any spotted lanternflies you see at the fairgrounds, according to a media kit from the Ohio State Fair .

"These pests are not harmful to humans but do destroy crops, plants, and trees. If you see any during your visit, please stomp on them," the fair asked of fairgoers.

The invasive fliers have already been spotted at the fairgrounds. Visitors should check their vehicles for the buggers if they visit the fair, according to the media kit.

What are spotted lanternflies?

The spotted lanternfly is an invasive species native to Southeast Asia that was first recorded in the U.S. in 2014, appearing in Pennsylvania. Since then, it has expanded along the East Coast and even gone as far west as Illinois, according to the Ohio Department of Agriculture .

The lanternfly has also invaded the Buckeye State, causing the ODA to issue a quarantine for a dozen counties where it's been spotted. These quarantines increase shipping inspections for items that may be carrying the bug.

The spotted lanternfly's potential for damage comes from its feeding habits. Lanternfly nymphs feed on a wide range of plants, sucking their sap. Adult lanternflies focus their feeding on trees of heaven, black walnut saplings and grapevines, sometimes killing them, according to the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

The lanternflies also secrete honeydew, which can cause black sooty mold to grow on trees.

The bugs lay eggs (which resemble a small, gray waxy mass) in sheltered areas in October through December. They start hatching in April and grow through multiple life stages until hitting adulthood in late June.

The adults will then remain active until winter, according to the Ohio Department of Agriculture. They're around one inch long with black bodies and brightly colored wings.

The spotted lanternflies aren't great fliers, so they mostly get around by hopping from plant to plant.

What to do if spotted lanternflies invade your home

While the Ohio State Fair encourages stomping as a control method, the Ohio Department of Agriculture has a few additional tips for dealing with the bugs in your homes.

• Don't move outdoor furniture, items, or firewood without inspecting them for the flies or their eggs.
• If you do find eggs, kill them by submerging them in rubbing alcohol, by burning them or with a spotted lanternfly pesticide spray.
• Place a non-porous barrier band around a tree trunk and coat it with a sticky material. Don't put the sticky stuff on the tree trunk. This barrier will cause lanternflies climbing up the tree to get stuck and die.
• Use pesticides or ingredients like beta-cyfluthrin, bifenthrin, carbaryl, dinotefuran, imidacloprid, zeta-cypermethrin, neem oil, and insecticidal soaps to control the flies.

NHart@dispatch.com

@NathanRHart

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: The Ohio State Fair wants fairgoers to kill these invasive bugs on sight