What You Need To Know About Spotted Lanternflies

"Join the battle. Beat the bug!" That has been the rallying call in the national campaign to engage residents in war on the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula). How can a mere mortal foil such an invasion? The simple answer is stomp it out—yes smoosh the bugs with the heel of a shoe, which tends to be good advice for residents in the almost a dozen states the lanternfly is already calling home. But why all the stink about one hungry bug? True, we've all dealt with pests before—mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, you name it— but the spotted lanternfly has quickly risen to the most-wanted list in the states it has infiltrated. And, yes, it is an invasion. 

According to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, these extremely damaging pests are not native to the U.S. and hadn't been seen in this part of the world until 2014 when Berks County, Pennsylvania, confirmed the first appearance. Since then, this native of China, Vietnam, and India with a voracious appetite for over 70 different plant species, including big money-makers like grapes, has threatened many more states in the Northeast and Midwest. The lanternfly has been sighted in New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, New York, Connecticut, and Ohio—and has the right stuff to claim even more territory. In many cases, this planthopper just hitches a ride, and derailing its travels has meant quarantine protocols in some areas. What kind of threat does the spotted lanternfly pose in your neck of the woods and what can you do about it? Here's what the experts say.

It's not a fly as the name suggests, and it's not a moth though, with its outstretched wings, it resembles one. The spotted lanternfly is a planthopper in the order of Hemiptera, or true bug, related to the cicada, stinkbug, aphids, and leafhoppers, says Cornell University. Don't count on a telltale red spot to give away the bug's identity. The lanternfly only shows such brilliance when in flight or startled, at which point it extends the red underwings. it's far more likely that you'll spot the lanternfly resting on the next tree it wants to snack on. In that case, it'll have its black-spotted, pinkish-tan wings folded back, hiding a yellow abdomen with black stripes. 

In their early stage, offspring called nymphs are black with white spots and may be mistaken for ticks. As they mature, nymphs take on a red coloration still with white spots. You are most likely to see a nymph in May or June. Through each stage of development, the spotted lanternfly will molt, but its coloration is so distinctive you should still be able to make a positive identification. 

Even if you don't see a lanternfly in action, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says you may detect signs of their presence around your yard. There is the telltale honeydew-like sticky fluid that can build up on plants and on the ground where lanternflies have been dining, creating a real mess. Out in the yard, if you feel drops of "rain" when there's not a cloud around, it may actually be the honeydew leaking down from a tree above. Targeted plants might also exhibit sooty mold, take on a fermented odor, and seem to ooze or weep. Egg masses on tree trunks, branches, rocks, lawn furniture — you name it— are another warning that the lanternfly is in town. These masses resemble gray or tan mud splotches extending about an inch long. Each contains 30 to 50 eggs—and the invasion begins!

COVID-19 is not the only reason for quarantines these days. The lanternfly has created the need for quarantine zones in areas where they are prevalent, like numerous New Jersey counties. Moving any object from these zones without inspecting it first is prohibited, says the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. Why quarantine zones? While its name suggests a propensity for flight, the lanternfly can also hop an impressive distance to its destination, which makes it a skilled hitchhiker. Even in its nymph stage, the insect is adept at getting around. And don't put it past them to drop into a vehicle or equipment and travel across state lines. This takes hitchhiking to a whole new level. 

To comply with quarantine, one must inspect firewood, plants, packing materials like boxes, and landscaping or construction waste. Additional likely bug targets include outdoor household items like RVs, lawn mowers, grills, furniture, tile, stone, tarps, and deck boards. Vehicles kept outdoors can also taxi a bug to his next meal in another state. To stop the spread, the public is urged to examine these items and keep a compliance checklist before hitting the road...and unknowingly transporting a stowaway. 

In some cases, businesses and organizations will need to get a permit to move material out of an affected county. These permits are only issued after training on preventing the spotted lanternfly's spread. For safe travel outside a quarantine zone, precautions might include storing vulnerable material indoors or shrink wrapping it, whatever it takes to keep it from feeding the bug and advancing its trek across the states. If a spotted lanternfly is discovered during the examination of materials awaiting transport, it is to be processed, treated, burned, or buried as the law requires. It should never be taken outside the quarantine zone. 

If your property is infested with spotted lanternflies, you're going to want to waste no time in kicking them out before eggs hatch and then the problem intensifies. Fortunately, French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust, based in Pennsylvania, has come up with ways to eradicate the bug without pesticides that could be harmful to bees. Topping the list is smushing the culprit with fly swatters, bug-zapping electric rackets, or anything else practical at your disposal. If you're not a fan of smooshing and squishing, consider sucking up a bunch of them with a shop vac.

Yet another option for a tree overcome with an army of the pests is wrapping the base of the trunk at least 4 feet off the ground with sticky paper or inside-out duct tape. (Narrow strips are less harmful to other critters.) To spring the trap, knock them out of the tree with a broom, leaf blower, or pressure washer. As they scurry back up the tree, they'll get stuck in the sticky paper. Caution: The sticky paper can harm other wildlife and should not be left unattended. Consider building a wire cage around the paper to protect wildlife. You might also try natural poisons like the milkweed plant, natural killers like spiders, and some essential oil-based pesticides that do minimal harm to beneficial insects. As mentioned the milkweed is a natural poison, which the Asian-native spotted lanternfly knows nothing about, and planting it in your yard will not only kill the bug, but it will also support monarch butterflies.  How's that for a win-win? 

There are plenty of myths circulating about the spotted lanternfly that Penn State is trying to clear up. For instance, the nasty bugs target some 100 tree varieties but they are only a direct threat to grapes and the tree of heaven, which grows like a noxious weed tree. So, the fact is that the spotted lanternfly may not kill your trees. However, they may harm trees by leaving them in a weakened state and more susceptible to disease, other insects, and drought. Saplings may be especially vulnerable. Due to the legions of lanternflies that flock to a tree, Penn State says they will cause some impact. The exact nature of that impact is now under study.

A second myth is that the spotted lanternfly may have left a certain region. Even if sightings have dropped, perhaps because they've devoured all the food, there's no reason to believe they're gone for good. When the food comes back next season or next year, they may pop up again, perpetuating the cycle of destruction. Yet another myth has spotted lanternflies proving potentially toxic to pets who ingest them. Spotted lanternflies do not seem to contain cantharidin, poisonous in large doses, and present in bugs like beetles. There is no evidence they are toxic, says Penn State, citing the need for further research. At the very least they're hard to digest, so keep an eye on Fido. 

Lastly, Penn State recommends avoiding home beat-the-bug remedies like dish soap, garlic, salt, vinegar, glass cleaner, and chili peppers, sticking to nonchemical options. Chemical control is an option but best left to a pro after careful research into the benefits and consequences of the insecticide chosen.

Since that fateful day in 2014 that the first spotted lanternfly was discovered in Berks County, Pennsylvania, the hungry bug has been gaining territory despite warnings and quarantine zones. To illustrate how good the bug is at getting around, the initial lanternfly is believed to have reached PA through a shipping container from its native Asia, according to The Washington Post. Besides making a big mess as it drops on everything under the dining lanternfly, the honeydew-like substance the bad bugs excrete can render fruit crops unusable, kill grape vines, and foul the taste of honey.  While it doesn't kill trees per say, it is a huge concern for the future viability of orchards. 

During the summer of 2022, The Washington Post reports, the spotted lanternfly entered Loudoun County in Virginia, marking a significant victory for the bug. A map of the United States featured in the article shows the planthoppers are making progress in the Mid-Atlantic States with heavy populations in New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, and pockets of activity in Ohio, Virginia, New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. There are even small infestations in Indiana and North Carolina. The future, says the article, may mean creating biologically-based insecticides perhaps through an insect-killing fungus now being investigated. No, the stomping isn't over. Nor is the need for residents to take up arms to combat what could be an economically devastating bug invasion before it's too late.