You may have started to notice a new bug buzzing around your home – you may or not be familiar with what it is.  If you live in the Berks/Lancaster county area, I am almost positive you have heard of the SPOTTED LANTERNFLY.  In this blog we are going to talk about these nuisances and what you can do to prevent them from damaging your property.

First things first – what is a spotted lanternfly?  It is an invasive planthopper (type of insect) in the US.  It originated in certain parts of Southeast Asia.  These pests are a threat to the economic well-being of the state due to its damage to agriculture and forestry products.

What does it do?  These pests feed on the sap of a plant and, where there are high populations of them, can cause significant damage.  They feed off of 70+ plants that includes important forestry and agricultural crops like apples, hops, walnuts and other hardwood trees.  In Korea, the spotted lanternfly has had a major destructive impact on grapes and grape-products, such as wine.  They have also reduced the yields of fruit-bearing trees and other plants.  Of note, they are not known to bite, sting, or attack people, pets or livestock.  **FUN FACT** Fruit from quarantined areas is ok to eat as the lanternfly will feed on the plant, not the fruit itself.

            The spotted lanternfly will feed through the bark of trees/plants by using a piercing-sucking mouthpart and tapping into the plant.  When it feeds it excretes honeydew (sugar water) on and around it’s feeding site.  By leaving this residue behind, it encourages the growth of black sooty mold which is damaging to plants.

Where did they come from?  They were first discovered in the US in Berks County, PA around 2014.  They have spread to over 13 counties in southeaster PA.  ** DID YOU KNOW?  These counties are considered to be a quarantine zone. **  Because they lay eggs on almost any surface they are easily spread.  If you are in a quarantine zone, check your belongings for any extra travelers before leaving.

How do I know if I found a Spotted Lanternfly?  These insects go through 5 stages after hatching from eggs.  Stage 1 – 3; known as NYMPHS are incapable of flight.  They are black with bright white spots and are roughly the size of a pencil eraser.  In the next stage the nymph becomes larger.  Stage 4 the spotted lanternfly is vibrant red with patches of black and bright white spots.  When the spotted lanternfly opens its wings, it shows a bright red underwing.  ** DID YOU KNOW?  The spotted lanternfly will only live through the winter if they are in egg form **  Adults will lay their eggs in the late fall on trees, under bark, posts, lawn furniture, cars, trailers, outdoor grills and other surfaces.

What is PA doing to get rid of them?  The Departments of Agriculture removing the lanternfly’s preferred host: an invasive plant called tree-of-heaven.  They are also leaving behind “trap trees” which are baited with insecticides to kill.

What can I do as a homeowner?  In the fall and winter, inspect trees and surfaces (as discussed above) for egg masses.  If any are found they should be scraped and placed in a container filled with alcohol (rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizer, etc) to kill it.  In the spring, you can band highly infested trees with stick tape to trap the nymphs that will be crawling up the tree to feed.  Use insecticides to prevent and kill all stages of the spotted lanternfly.

For help on combating this fast infesting pest, contact us!  We are trained to help assist in the removal and prevention of the spotted lanternfly.