Attacked By Lanternflies On The Beach In NJ, Can They Bite?

I was on the beach at the Jersey Shore yesterday and I was literally attacked by lanternflies. I know, I'm as perplexed as you are. Why are they there? Don't they have a crop to destroy somewhere? Do we have to worry about bites or stings?

They were everywhere! I used Lou's flip flop as my weapon (that will be our little secret) as a result, I delivered at least 30 of those suckers straight to the afterlife. What surprised me the most was their unapologetic attitude. They would land directly on me as if to say, "your move". They had no fear and they were incessant. At one point they had me missing greenheads. At least lanternflies don't bite...do they?!?!

It turns out lanternflies are horrifying for our crops and trees and if you see one you should kill it. If you are me, you yell "and tell your friends!" after you off them in front of their tribe. One good thing is that the Spotted Lanternfly is not harmful to humans directly. They do not sting or bite so at least there is that. In addition to being destructive to our resources and crops, they also cause a stinking mess by excreting a sticky substance that causes black mold. Lovely.

The moral of the story is, that we are seeing them everywhere, even on our beaches so if you see one, kill it and try not to create a scene like me when one lands on you.

LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.