Native to China, lanternflies first appeared on the eastern U.S. coast in 2014 in Pennsylvania, and were first reported in Maryland in 2018.
The insects are not venomous and do not bite or sting humans. They feed on plant sap from a wide range of plants including grapes, hops, apples, stone fruits, maples, walnuts, and other plant species. Although their feeding on plants has not killed plants (except for grapes), they can damage host plants in two ways:
Adults deposit eggs on a host plant and when the nymphs emerge, they insert their sucking beaks into leaves and stems and feed on the tissue, robbing the plant of valuable nutrients.
They excrete a sugar-rich, sticky liquid from their backsides known as honeydew. Falling from infested trees like a gentle rain shower, the honeydew can kill grapevines and fouls other foliage and fruit. It promotes the growth of black, sooty mold, which can coat plants and prevent sunlight from reaching their leaves, reducing photosynthesis. The fruit becomes unmarketable, thus presenting a huge economic problem for growers of apples, cherries, peaches and grapes. Honeydew also adds a sticky coating to cars and lawn furniture, creating a mess to clean up. The sweet liquid attracts yellow jackets, wasps and ants.
Spotted lanternfly nymphs undergo four stages of maturing toward adulthood, according to the state agriculture department. During the first three, the creature is black with white spots. But during the fourth and final stage before adulthood, the half-inch-long lanternfly nymph becomes bright red, covered in black stripes and white spots. They appear in this stage from July to September. Adult spotted lanternflies, meanwhile, can be seen from July until December.
Key Advice from the University of Maryland Extension Service (UMES)
This spider, who lives on a Brown Street screen door, doing its job.
Make your garden attractive to birds and other wildlife that like to eat this invasive pest.Bats, birds, spiders, praying mantids, assassin bugs, and predatory stink bugs are known to feast on lanternflies. Some research indicates that wheel bugs, spined soldier bugs, and certain types of praying mantises are particularly effective at consuming spotted lanternflies.
Remove one of spotted lanternfly’s primary host plants,tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), from your property. While spotted lanternflies feed on a variety of host plants including fruit trees, ornamental trees, woody trees, vegetables, herbs, grains and vines, they prefer the tree of heaven. Tree of heaven looks very similar to native sumac and black walnut, so correct identification of the plant is important. Before removing tree of heaven,
In residential yards and gardens, the recommended approach is to physically kill any spotted lanternfliesthat are safely reachable or to leave spotted lanternflies for predators to feed on. They do not harm landscape or garden plants enough to justify the risks of using insecticidal sprays. Do not spray home remedies such as white vinegar or dish soap because these items can harm other animals and plants.
The best way is to destroy the egg masses in colder months: Scrape egg masses off woody plant bark and hard surfaces such as lawn furniture, decks, and concrete surfaces using a plastic card or tool such as a putty knife. The eggs must then be crushed in order to kill them. Eggs can be crushed with gloved hands or dropped into a container of rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. Be sure you confirm the identity of the egg mass before destroying it. There are many beneficial insects that lay egg masses on bark and other hard surfaces.
You can also destroy individual nymphs and adults:
Do not destroy any look-alike insects.
Crush them with gloved hands.
Stomp on them. Note that stomping from behind is often unsuccessful because they can sense the oncoming stomp and will jump forward to escape. But they can ONLY jump forward, so that if you approach them from the front, there is a much narrower escape route for them and you will be more likely to succeed.
Smash them with fly swatters or rackets.
Not into the ick factor of stomping, smashing and crushing?
Place them in a container of soapy water or rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol), or
Understand that spotted lanternfly removal is an endless job. Spotted lanternflies are constantly on the move. Spot-spraying and whole-yard insecticide treatments will only put a small, temporary dent in the population while also potentially harming animals such as beneficial insects. Insecticidal soap and neem oil are effective only if they are applied directly to spotted lanternflies and the surfaces on which they are feeding and walking. Neem oil and insecticidal soap have a short period of residual activity and would need to be re-applied at intervals recommended on the product label.
Take these steps to reduce the spread of the invasive sap-feeding plant pests:
Check your vehicle: Before leaving a parking lot or work site, inspect vehicles for spotted lanternfly egg or insects. Check doors, sides, bumpers, wheel wells, grills and roofs. If found, destroy any eggs or insects you find.
Inspect items being moved:Check check backpacks, bicycles, trash cans, lumber, shipping containers, propane tanks, pallets and other items being stored outdoors before they are moved offsite. Inspect incoming goods for egg masses and insects.
Park with windows closed: The spotted lanternfly and its nymphs can enter vehicles unsuspectedly. When parked, make sure to keep windows closed. If possible, try to park 15 feet away from trees if in a quarantine zone.
