Social media heavily impacts our everyday lives and scientists have found it can be a tool for tracking invasive insect spread!

In the US-based study, researchers looked at social media activity and new reports surrounding two of their invasive species, the Spotted Lanternfly and Tomato Leaf Miner. Interestingly, the volume of social media posts corresponded with the Spotted Lanternfly lifecycle and results of official surveys.

In some cases, social media displayed news about pest spread before the scientific community published the data.

While you certainly can’t believe everything you read on the internet, social media is a valuable tool to raise awareness about unwanted threats and their (potential) spread. If you don’t already, follow KVH on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for regular updates and news snippets.