ITHACA, N.Y. (WENY) -- Spotted lanternflies are an invasive threat to the area's agriculture and ecosystems, but a new Cornell study has found that some of our furry friends can help in the fight against the lanternfly.

The invasive insect has made its mark on the agricultural industry in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with so far little impacts measured in the Empire State, but research has unveiled a new tool in the battle against lanternfly, man's best friend.

“A spotted lanternfly infestation in a vineyard can cause 80% to 100% mortality of the vines in one growing season,” said Angela Fuller, the study’s author and professor in Cornell's Department of Natural Resources and the Environment.

The Cornell study found that dogs are more efficient at finding egg masses near vineyards than humans, whereas humans were found to be 1.8 times more efficient in vineyards themselves. The dogs involved in the study included a Labrador retriever and a Belgian Malinois.

“The dogs find egg masses by smell,” Fuller added. “So, in a very complex environment, it’s easier for a dog to smell something than it is for a human to see something that is small and cryptic.”

A total of 20 vineyards in Pennsylvania and New Jersey known to have infestations were used in the study, along with adjacent forests where infestations have also been reported. Detections in nearby forests were 3.4 times higher for the dogs in the study than the human participants.

Trained dogs were able to more easily detect the egg masses in complex environments, potentially adding a new asset in the fight against spotted lanternfly.