Invasive lanternflies that have potential to affect entire industries intercepted at CA border

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Lanternflies have been infesting the East Coast for years, but the alarm is now being raised in California after eggs of the invasive insects were blocked at the Nevada border.

They came a little too close for comfort after an egg mass was found on a 30-foot-tall metal art installation headed to Sonoma County.

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The shipment was intercepted at the Truckee Border Protection Station, then it was sent to Nevada to be power-washed with detergent.

Lanternflies could disrupt our ecology, and cause significant damage to trees and property as we've seen on the East Coast.

There, people have been encouraged to kill them on sight.

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"I don't want them to kill this tree, in the grand scheme of things these bugs are killing my trees," New Jersey resident Ashley Mailahn said.

In California, there's also the added threat to the wine industry.

The state's winegrowers association put out a warning Monday, saying if other eggs arrived in California undetected, they may hatch in coming weeks.