New York plans to turn parts of Watkins Glen State Park into a targeted trap for spotted lanternflies, according to the Finger Lakes Times.
Crews will remove or treat most trees of heaven in the park while leaving about a dozen larger male trees standing.
Those remaining trees will be injected with systemic insecticide so lanternflies feeding on them are killed before they can reproduce and spread.
Officials said the park was chosen because it already has a tree of heaven population, may contain thousands of lanternflies and draws visitors who could unknowingly transport the insects.
The effort is aimed at protecting nearby vineyards, orchards and other crops from an invasive pest that can cause serious damage.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.