Pennsylvania was the first to detect a spotted lanternfly in 2014 and just five years later, the one-inch insect was found to cost the state $50.1 million annually - but a study warns it could soon reach $324 million.However, Pennsylvania has since adopted several tactics to find and kill spotted lanternflies, such as training young dogs to sniff out eggs so officials can remove them before they hatch.
The other states plagued by infestations include Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Virginia and West Virginia.
New York is another going into battle against the tree-eating pests, as Senator Chuck Schumer secured $200 million in funds last month to contain the population that threatens the state's $6.65 billion wine and grape industry.
The infestation along the east coast has become so intense, one Twitter user is likening it to the end of days in a tweet that reads: 'This summer will be on the scope of a Plague of Egypt.'