The One Plant You Should Grow To Deter And Kill Spotted Lanternflies

Spotted lanternflies — the colorful insects that began invading U.S. cities and suburbs about seven years ago — have become a major concern for gardeners, farmers, and homeowners across the country. Native to China, this invasive pest has caused its fair share of damage to crops, trees, and plants everywhere from public parks to private homes. One of the most important things you need to know about spotted lanternflies is their destructive feeding habits, which weaken or even kill plants by promoting black mold growth on tree trunks by leaving behind honeydew.

While gardeners have continued to battle these beautiful pests, they have begun turning to natural solutions to help deter these creatures from ruining landscapes. Of all the plants that work as natural pest control, milkweed is said to be particularly suited to help deter and even kill spotted lanternflies. If you're skeptical, you have every right to be. Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) has become a go-to choice for homeowners looking for a natural way to keep spotted lanternflies out of their yards, and the overall consensus is that it can definitely help. 

Scientists have been studying the effect of milkweed on pests for years and have recently begun applying the plant's characteristics to spotted lanternflies. While early research suggested that it may not impact them at all, studies are still ongoing, and there is strong evidence being published that suggests milkweed plants can be helpful in actually killing spotted lanternflies. A current Penn State study shows that the cardiac glycosides in milkweed can kill 60 to 80% of spotted lanternfly nymphs within 24 hours of contact.

Milkweed is particularly suited to deter these pests because of the milky latex sap, which contains toxic alkaloids that are part of its defense system and are poisonous to spotted lanternflies. Even if that doesn't deter the flying insect and they invade your garden anyway, once it comes in contact, the milkweed toxins will slow them down, making them easier to catch, trap, and kill – limiting their ability to impact more of your landscape. However, it is not exactly a miracle solution to eliminating them.

While milkweed has many strong deterrent properties, it's most effective when used as part of an integrated pest management strategy that combines multiple methods to reduce the lanternfly population in your yard. If you're only starting to see the pests, or your immediate concern is preventative measures, milkweed is a great place to start before incorporating insecticidal sprays and traps.

If you're considering using milkweed to deter lanternflies, it's a good idea to plant it in areas where you see the creatures most often. This is typically near tree trunks and vines. They are especially drawn to grapevines, hops, maple, walnut, and fruit trees. Incorporating the plant into your pest control system can not only help protect your garden, but flowers from these plants add a little more beauty to your yard.

You should continue to monitor your plants for signs of lanternfly damage even when using milkweed and consider other methods if needed, such as manual removal or insecticidal treatments. Even if spotted lanternflies aren't one of the worst garden pests you want to banish from your yard, you still don't want them hanging around.