‘Summer Nuisance’ Bug Found In 17 States, Including Iowa. Here’s What You’re Asked To Do.

It's the bug season.

I love summer, but it's when the bugs come out to play and I'm not here for that. Ick. But now, authorities have found an invasive kind of bug in 17 states, including Iowa.

Spotted lanternflies, who are no stranger to being problematic in American summers, are back. Yippee. And as of today, they and their eggs have been found in Iowa, but not Illinois, according to a tracker from World Population Review.

The bugs were accidentally introduced into the U.S. in 2014, when they were brought into Pennsylvania, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

If you see the bug in Iowa, you're asked to report it by either calling the Entomology and Plant Science Bureau at 515-725-1470 or e-mail Entomology@IowaAgriculture.gov. And the USDA says that you should destroy lanternfly egg masses if you come across them.

Spotted lanternflies really like to hang around in fruit or woody trees, like: almond, apple, apricot, cherry, maple, nectarine, oak, peach, pine, plum, poplar, sycamore, tree-of-heaven, walnut, and willow. They like grapes too.

They won't bite or sting but they are invasive and problematic. To prevent them, here are a few things you can do:

• Check your trees around dusk
• Keep your car windows closed when parked
• Check your car (bumpers, wheel wells, etc)
• Check any outdoor items (propane tanks, etc)

Spotted lanternflies are native to China, India, and Vietnam. If they keep spreading in the U.S., they could hurt the country's grape, orchard, nursery, and logging industries.