>> Jeyan: TRAFFIC INTO CANADA FROM THE U.S. ISN'T BACK TO FULL STEAM YET, AFTER BEING SHUT DOWN
FOR MUCH OF THE PANDEMIC.
BUT FOR ONE HITCHHIKER, THE TRUCKS AND OTHER VEHICLES THAT ARE CROSSING, MAY BE ENOUGH TO
GET A FOOTHOLD THAT PUTS ONTARIO'S WINE COUNTRY IN HARM'S WAY.
WITH US TO EXPLAIN WHY THE SPOTTED LANTERNFLY IS CAUSE FOR CONCERN, IN HAMILTON, ONTARIO:
JUSTIN CHANDLER, OUR ONTARIO HUBS JOURNALISTS COVERING THE HAMILTON-NIAGARA REGION.
HEY, JUSTIN >> Justin: HEY, JEYAN.
>> Jeyan: FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE THIS IS PROBABLY THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY'VE HEARD OF THE
SPOTTED LANTERNFLY.
WHAT IS IT?
>> SO THIS IS AN INTERESTING LOOKING INSECT.
IT'S TECHNICALLY A PLANT HOPPER.
IT'S CALLED THE LANTERNFLY AND IT KIND OF LOOKS LIKE A MOTH.
WHEN IT'S FULLY GROWN IT'S ABOUT 3-MILLIMETRE LONG BRIGHT RED BUG WITH WINGS.
IT LOOKS POKEMON, KIND OF CARTOONISH, AND IT'S AN INVASIVE SPECIES THAT'S TAKEN BIG HOLD
ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
>> Jeyan: I HAVE TO SAY THEY DO LOOK PRETTY, DARE I SAY EVEN CUTE.
BUT THERE IS A LOT OF CONCERN.
TELL US WHY IS -- WHY ARE, YOU KNOW, FARMERS IN ONTARIO AND EXPERTS IN THE AREA CONCERNED
ABOUT THEM COMING TO THE AREA?
>> WELL, I'LL JUST SAY FIRST, I THINK THEY LOOK A LITTLE BIT SCARY, BUT MAYBE THAT'S JUST ME.
ANYWAY ...
WHY PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED.
ESSENTIALLY THIS INVASIVE SPECIES WAS FIRST NOTICED IN AMERICA, IN PENNSYLVANIA IN
2014.
IT'S THOUGHT TO HAVE COME OVER IN A SHIPMENT MAYBE FROM CHINA WHERE THE SPECIES IS NATIVE.
AND BEING AS IT'S AN INVASIVE SPECIES, IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY NATURAL PREDATORS HERE AND IT
EATS THINGS THAT IT SHOULDN'T BE FROM OUR ECOSYSTEM.
SO IT REALLY LIKES THIS ONE INVASIVE TREE CALLED THE TREE OF HEAVEN AND IT REALLY LIKES
GRAPES.
SO THERE ARE WORRIES HERE BECAUSE NIAGARA GROWS A LOT OF GRAPES.
>> Jeyan: JUSTIN, YOU MENTIONED GROWERS IN THE NIAGARA ARE CONCERNED.
WHAT'S THE CONCERN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE ACTUAL GRAPES THEMSELVES?
>> WHAT I LEARNED FROM THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE FROM HANA FRASER AN ENTOMOLOGIST
THERE, GRAPES ARE A $4 BILLION INDUSTRY IN ONTARIO.
SO THE WORRY WITH THESE BUGS IS THEY CAN EAT A LOT OF GRAPES AND THEY CAN ACTUALLY KILL THE VINE.
WHAT THE INVASIVE SPECIES CENTRE SAID IS WINERIES CAN ESSENTIALLY BE NUKED.
THAT WAS THE WORD SHE USED.
AND IN PENNSYLVANIA, FOR EXAMPLE, JUST ACRES AND ACRES OF GRAPE WINE HAVE BEEN DESTROYED.
IT WOULD BE A WINERY IF THEY HAVE AN INFESTATION WOULD HAVE TO RISK LOSING EVERYTHING OR
REALLY RAMP UP THEIR PESTICIDE USE WHICH MAY BE SOMETHING THEY DON'T WANT TO DO.
>> Jeyan: YOU DID TOUCH A LITTLE BIT WHEN IT FIRST WAS DISCOVERED IN THE STATES.
HOW DOES THE SPECIES SORT OF WORK ITS WAY THROUGH THE BORDERS?
>> SO THIS SPECIES IS OFTEN CALLED LIKE A HITCHHIKER.
SO THE WAY THAT IT'S BEEN GETTING AROUND AND ACTUALLY GETTING THROUGH QUARANTINE ZONES
EVEN IN THE UNITED STATES IS BECAUSE IT LAYS EGGS THAT ARE VERY HARD TO FIND.
IT'S A PRETTY MOBILE INSECT SO IT CAN JUMP AROUND.
BUT OFTEN WHAT'S HAPPENED IS AFTER THEY LAY THEIR EGGS THEY DIE SO THEY'RE BEING SPREAD
OFTEN BY THEIR EGGS.
THEY'RE REALLY HARD TO FIND.
THEY MIGHT LAY THEIR EGGS ON VEHICLES OR A SHIPMENT OF STONE FROM SOMEWHERE.
IT'S SOMETHING PEOPLE COULD EASILY MISS AND EASILY TRANSPORT ALONG WITH THEM INTO A NEW AREA.
>> Jeyan: I DO HAVE A GRAPHIC AND IT SHOWS THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE INSECT.
CAN YOU KIND OF WALK US THROUGH WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE?
>> YES.
SO EGG LAYING STARTS IN SEPTEMBER OR DECEMBER SO THAT'S COMING UP SOON.
THEY STAY AS EGG MASSES FOR QUITE A WHILE.
THOSE ARE HARD TO DETECT.
THEY ACTUALLY CHANGE COLOUR OVER TIME.
THEY LOOK A LOT LIKE MUD WHEN THEY'RE LAID ON SOME THINGS, SO SOMETHING YOU COULD EASILY MISS.
IN THE SPRING THEY HATCH AND THEY'RE A BLACK AND WHITE BUG IN THE NYMPH STAGE.
AND THEN THEY GROW INTO THAT RED COLOUR AND THEN THAT VERY NOTICEABLE WIDER WINGS WITH THAT
RED COLOURING.
>> Jeyan: NOW, LOOKING AT THAT GRAPHIC, WE CAN SEE THAT WE'RE KIND OF IN THAT START TO WHEN
THE WINGS COME OUT.
THERE IS SOME CAUSE FOR CONCERN.
WE'RE SORT OF IN A PERFECT STORM, SHALL WE SAY, WITH WHERE WE ARE IN THEIR CYCLE AND WITH
THE BORDERS REOPENING BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
AGAIN, THE BORDERS OPENED EARLIER THIS MONTH.
WHAT'S THE CONCERN THERE?
>> SO I WAS SPEAKING WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT INVASIVE SPECIES EXPERTS FOR THE PIECE
THAT I DID TO TRY TO REALLY GET A SENSE AND THERE'S A WORRY RIGHT NOW.
I SPOKE TO, FOR EXAMPLE, MANDY ENNIS AT THE INVASIVE SPECIES CENTRE WHICH IS AN ONTARIO BODY
UP IN SAULT STE. MARIE AND SHE SAID THAT ONE OF THE CONCERNS RIGHT NOW IS THAT WITH THE
BORDER OPEN AGAIN TO NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVEL FROM THE U.S. IS THERE'S JUST EVEN MORE
AVENUES FOR THE INSECT TO COME IN.
SO TRAVELLERS ARE ALREADY WORRYING ABOUT DOING A CoVID-19 SCREENING, WAITING IN
LONG LINES TO GET INTO LET'S SAY NIAGARA BECAUSE THEY WANT TO GO TO THE FALLS, THEY WANT TO DO A
WINE TOUR.
SO THERE'S THE POSSIBILITY NOW THAT AN UNWITTING TRAVELLER COULD ALSO BE BRINGING A
LANTERNFLY MAYBE ON THE BOTTOM OF THEIR VEHICLE THAT THEY THINK IS A MUD SPLOTCH.
IT'S NOT LIKE THEY COULDN'T COME IN BEFORE BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY INSECTS DON'T RESPECT BORDERS.
SO NOW THERE'S MORE AVENUES.
SO IT'S AN EVEN BIGGER RISK AND POSSIBILITY THAN WE HAD.
>> Jeyan: SO WHAT ARE WE HEARING FROM GOVERNMENT AND GROWERS IN THE AREA TO COMBAT
THE ISSUE?
>> WELL, THEY'RE ALL ACTUALLY WORKING TOGETHER ON THIS.
ONE THING THAT THEY'VE BEEN SAYING CONSISTENTLY TO ME IN MY PIECE WAS THAT PUBLIC AWARENESS
IS REALLY IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW.
SO AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THOSE COLLABORATIONS AND A PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN IS THAT THE
CANADIAN FOOD INSPECTION AGENCY AND THE INVASIVE SPECIES CENTRE HAVE TEAMED UP TO MAKE MATERIAL
AVAILABLE WITH FACT SHEETS.
ANOTHER IS THAT THE GRAPE GROWERS OF ONTARIO TEAMED UP WITH THE CANADIAN FOOD
INSPECTION AGENCY AND THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE IN ONTARIO TO ACTUALLY PUT UP
SOMETHING LIKE 65 OF THESE DIFFERENT LANTERN FLY TRAPS AMONG TRANSPORTATION CORRIDORS.
THE IDEA IS IF THE LANTERNFLY GETS IN, THEY COULD CATCH THEM.
OR PEOPLE WOULD SEE THEM AND SAY WHAT'S THAT AND NOTICE AND LOOK UP AND THEN THERE'S SOME
INFORMATION ABOUT THE LANTERNFLY ON THOSE DIFFERENT TRAPS.
>> Jeyan: NOW, WHEN I WAS LOOKING IT UP, SPOTTED LANTERNFLY, I DID SEE SOME VIDEO
THAT YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR ARTICLE OF TEMPLE UNIVERSITY IN PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,
WHERE THEY ARE JUST KIND OF SWARMING ONE CAMPUS BUILDING AND LOTS OF PEOPLE STOMPING ON THEM.
IS THAT KIND OF THE WAY THAT WE SHOULD BE DEALING WITH IT, OR WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE BE DOING IF
THEY NOTICE THESE FLIES?
IS.
>> I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU SHOULDN'T BE STOMPING ON THE LANTERNFLIES BUT DEFINITELY THE
CANADIAN FOOD INSPECTION AGENCY, I SPOKE TO ONE OF THE SPECIALISTS, CHRISTINE, AND SHE
SAID YOU SHOULD BE REPORTING INFORMATION TO THEM.
SO PEOPLE IN ONTARIO COULD REPORT TO THIS MAPPING PROJECT IN THE PROVINCE BUT ALSO THE
CANADIAN FOOD INSPECTION AGENCY, JUST ANYBODY CAN REPORT AN INSECT AND THEN THEY CAN
COME AND DO AN INVESTIGATION AND DETERMINE WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
THERE ARE LINKS FOR HOW TO DO THAT IN MY PIECE.
>> Jeyan: GREAT STUFF.
THANKS SO MUCH, JUSTIN.
REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
>> Justin: THANK YOU.