Spotted Lanternfly Management Guide – everything you need to know about how to control our newest pest, but before you react please keep the following in mind:
1) Though annoying, these pests are not going to kill your established trees, landscape plants or garden plants. Adult Lanternfly prefer Tree of Heaven, Sumac, Black Walnut, Red Maple and Grapes but they will feed on many other tree species. On established plants, they have been known to kill only Tree of Heaven, Sumac and Grapes.
2) On the other hand, heavy infestation of Spotted Lanternfly can kill or damage saplings (young trees not fully established) and trees that are already stressed.
3) You may see the nymphs (babies) on many other plants, but they will mostly come and go without harming the plant. Nymphs can be controlled as well as adults.
4) The Spotted Lanternfly does not bite, make noise, or carry disease. They do, however, excrete a sticky sweet goo that can land on whatever is beneath them. The goo can promote growth of an unattractive fungus known as sooty mold.
5) Using the wrong insecticide, especially a full spectrum insecticide designed to kill most everything, usually does more harm than good by killing beneficial insects. Never spray a plant when it is flowering as this can kill essential pollinators. Hire a qualified professional if you have an infestation.
6) Cutting down native Red Maple and Black Walnut trees is not an effective control for the Spotted Lanternfly. They will just go somewhere nearby and you’ve killed a tree that the Lanternfly couldn’t. It is best to have an infested native tree treated with a systemic insecticide that the bugs will ingest while feeding on the tree. Again, hire a professional for this type of treatment
7) There is one tree you should get rid of: Tree of Heaven, an invasive tree, is the favorite tree of the Spotted Lanternfly. Removing these trees is highly recommended and will help to reduce Spotted Lanternfly populations. Read below for info:
Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus) Fact Sheet – good fact sheet which will enable you to identify and learn how to eradicate the Tree of Heaven.
Please note that under Aberdeen Ordinance 2-2022, both Tree of Heaven and Japanese Knotweed are prohibited plants within Aberdeen Township. Code Enforcement has the authority to require removal of these plants from your property.
We do not recommend residents handle their own tree eradication or removal unless they are experienced and understand the dangers. YouTube has no shortage of videos of homebrew tree removal gone horribly wrong, sometimes with deadly results. Play it safe by hiring a professional for this type of work.