UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Dealing with the invasive spotted lanternfly can be frustrating and challenging. Fortunately, Penn State Extension provides valuable resources, such as its Spotted Lanternfly Management Guide, to help people manage the pest effectively.
Authored by scientists and extension educators in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, the guide features comprehensive information, illustrations, charts and photos on the pest’s biology, behavior, plant damage and management, and an overview of ongoing research.
The publication is one of many spotted lanternfly resources that can be found online at https://extension.psu.edu/
Sightings of the spotted lanternfly can be reported by contacting the spotted lanternfly call center at 888-4BADFLY. This information will be shared with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Call center representatives also can answer general questions about the spotted lanternfly but do not handle requests for pest control or treatment services.
The spotted lanternfly is an invasive planthopper that first was detected in North America in 2014 in southeastern Pennsylvania. Not only does it feed on more than 70 species of trees and other woody plants, but it also can render outdoor areas unusable by leaving behind a sugary excrement called honeydew, explained Emelie Swackhamer, horticulture educator with Penn State Extension.
“The spotted lanternfly is an insect that can take time, energy and money to manage, especially in heavily infested areas,” she said. “Those dealing with this pest for the first time may be concerned, but arming oneself with knowledge can help.”
And that’s where the guide can play an important role. It begins by providing background on the insect, including the current distribution and quarantined counties. The publication also looks at the pest’s life cycle, which has four nymphal stages before it becomes an adult. Its appearance changes during the molting process for each stage, noted Amy Korman, horticulture extension educator based in Northampton County, and that’s why it’s important to know this for identification purposes.
The guide provides details of the pest’s feeding and movement behaviors for each life stage and the possible damage populations can cause. While the spotted lanternfly will feast on a variety of plant species — the most common outlined in the guide — the insect has a fondness for Ailanthus, or tree of heaven, an invasive plant that is common in fencerows and unmanaged woods, along the sides of roads, and in residential areas.
While there is no way to get rid of spotted lanternflies completely, Korman said the guide provides the latest information on ways to manage spotted lanternflies, including an assessment tool that can help people decide if and when to treat spotted lanternflies based on the severity of the infestation and the likelihood of plant damage.
“While ongoing research continues into finding long-term, safe and effective solutions to the problem, there are many methods people can use to reduce spotted lanternflies,” Korman said. “Each situation is different, and deciding on a plan of action requires everyone to assess their situation and decide what makes sense for them.”
Management techniques include mechanical control methods that do not use insecticides. One of these methods is a circle trap, which can capture many spotted lanternflies on individual trees; however, they do not prevent lanternflies from moving around in a landscape and returning.
Circle traps can be purchased commercially or can be a do-it-yourself project. A detailed guide on building a trap can be found on the Penn State Extension website at https://extension.psu.edu/how-
When dealing with large insect populations, citizens may have little recourse other than using chemical control. When applied properly, insecticides can be an effective and safe way to reduce lanternfly populations.
Insecticides best for controlling the pest include those with the active ingredients natural pyrethrins, bifenthrin carbaryl and dinotefuran. However, there are safety, environmental and sometimes regulatory concerns that accompany the use of insecticides, so homeowners should do research, weigh the pros and cons, and seek professional help if needed.
Swackhamer also warned against home remedies, such as cleaning and other household supplies, as they can be unsafe for humans, pets, wildlife and plants.
Spotted Lanternfly Frequently Asked Questions
Dealing with the invasive spotted lanternfly can be frustrating and challenging. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about how to manage the pest prepared by scientists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences:
Q: What is the spotted lanternfly?
A: Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly first was discovered in Berks County in 2014. It has since spread to 51 Pennsylvania counties and to surrounding states, including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Ohio, Virginia, Massachusetts, Indiana, West Virginia and Maryland.
The insect has a broad host range, including ornamental and woody plants, and is a threat to the state’s agriculture, primarily viticulture. Its propensity for hitchhiking has warranted state quarantines that require any shipment and movement of goods, as well as conveyances, to be free of any life stage of the spotted lanternfly. As such, its economic impacts may be felt by a wide range of industries, such as forest products, tourism, and any business that ships any goods into or out of quarantined areas. It is a nuisance pest to the public, and authorities stress the need to keep this pest from spreading.
Q. I think I killed/caught a spotted lanternfly in an area where it is not presently known to exist. What do I do?
A. If you find a spotted lanternfly or suspicious-looking egg mass in a location where it is not known to exist, you should try to collect it and put it into a container with alcohol (rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizer, etc.) to kill and preserve it, or at least take a good picture of it.
Report your sighting to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture using the Penn State Extension website, https://extension.psu.edu/
Q. I have spotted lanternfly in an area near my home, work, school, etc., in a municipality where it is already known to exist, but I am concerned. Any advice on what I should do?
A. If possible, you should try to destroy it/them. If you have questions about how to do this, you can:
- Call Penn State Extension at 888-4BADFLY (888-422-3359). Call Center representatives can answer general questions about the spotted lanternfly and direct you to Extension information resources. However, they do not handle requests for pest control or treatment services.
- Use Penn State Extension’s Spotted Lanternfly Management Guide for direction on how to manage the pest effectively. Authored by scientists and extension educators in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, the guide features comprehensive information, illustrations, charts and photos on the pest’s biology, behavior, plant damage and management, and an overview of ongoing research.
- Consult some of the additional spotted lanternfly resources that can be found online at https://extension.psu.edu/
spotted-lanternfly.
Q. Can I prevent spotted lanternflies from getting on my property?
A. No. Spotted lanternflies cannot be prevented from coming onto your property, particularly as adults, when they become more mobile. However, their presence alone does not indicate that you will have plant decline on your property. In some cases, the insects may just be attracted to their favorite plants or to buildings. They land on buildings for warmth, height or other unknown reasons. They do not cause structural damage to buildings, and adult spotted lanternflies will move on in a few weeks or die with cold weather.
The best thing any property owner can do is become informed about spotted lanternflies. In addition, you can reference Penn State Extension’s Spotted Lanternfly Management Guide for what management tactics to use, and when.
Q. Should I treat my tree?
A. There is no catch-all answer to this question, though it is frequently asked. It depends on many factors including the type of tree, how healthy it is and the level of infestation. Extension has developed guides to help you through this decision — see here for more information: Deciding If and When to Treat for Spotted Lanternfly on Ornamentals.
Q. Does the spotted lanternfly bite or sting?
A. No, the spotted lanternfly does not bite or sting.
Q. Do spotted lanternflies kill trees and plants?
A. To date, scientists have seen spotted lanternfly kill only grapevines, tree of heaven and black walnut saplings. Healthy and established ornamental trees have not been recorded to have died from spotted lanternfly, though branch dieback and plant health decline has been observed, particularly on some of the spotted lanternfly’s favorite hosts, including black walnut and maple. Additionally, sooty mold — which can grow on large quantities of the pest’s sugary excrement — has been known to kill groundcover plants, particularly immediately below large populations of spotted lanternflies in trees. This is a continued area of research.
Q. Will we ever be rid of the spotted lanternfly?
The spotted lanternfly likely is here to stay, but new research suggests that a wide range of insecticides and nonchemical control methods can help protect vulnerable plants. These methods can help keep the pest at bay while scientists work toward more sustainable, long-term management options. Another promising development is that spotted lanternfly feeding is not destroying fruit trees or most tree species as once thought possible.
For the latest information on spotted lanternfly, including a monthly newsletter, visit the Penn State Extension website at https://extension.psu.edu/
–Amy Duke, Penn State University
