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Spotted lanternfly
A native of Southeast Asia, the spotted lanternfly was first discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014. Historically an agricultural pest, the spotted lanternfly is known to wreak havoc on fruit trees, grapevines, and ornamentals. This invasive species has the potential to damage trees for both homeowners and business operators, as well.
While agriculture was their initial target, spotted lanternfly have quickly found new homes: our backyards, landscape, gardens, orchards, woodlands and community landscapes. If left untreated, the spotted lanternfly can reproduce rapidly, leaving risk for a heavy infestation, and can begin to damage your landscape and garden.
Call Ehrlich Pest Control at 1-800-837-5520 for more information about spotted lanternfly control.
Ehrlich’s spotted lanternfly treatment options
Ehrlich offers two spotted lanternfly services for residential properties:
- SpotGuard Annual Spotted Lanternfly Service (April-July)
This service will help protect your home against spotted lanternfly all year round. An Ehrlich pest specialist will survey your property, measure impacted trees, and apply an insecticide to the bark of the tree which is absorbed and spread throughout the tree. This treatment will not harm the tree, but prevents these nuisance pests from infesting and damaging trees and plants around your home. This service is only offered in the spring and early summer when trees are actively growing. - SpotGuard Monthly Spotted Lanternfly Service (July-October)
This treatment around your property helps to temporarily control spotted lanternfly populations. This service will help reduce infestation and damage to landscaping and garden. Treatment typically lasts between 2-4 weeks and requires monthly applications in order to maintain effective results.
Call us at 1-800-837-5520 or contact us online to see how our spotted lanternfly services can benefit your home or business.
Spotted lanternfly identification and life cycle
There is one generation of the spotted lanternfly each year. They lay their eggs in the fall and they hatch in the spring. Egg masses are laid on hard surfaces (trees, decks, houses, rocks, etc.) and are protected with a mud-like covering. Each egg mass contains 30–50 eggs. Once the eggs hatch, the spotted lanternfly goes through four nymph stages. Nymphs are small (⅛ to ½ inch) and can be hard to find. During the first three stages, these pests are all black with white spots. In the final stage, they are red with white dots and black stripes. Adults emerge in July and are active until winter. Spotted lanternfly adults are large, about 1 inch in length, and have black bodies with brightly colored wings. Only the adults can fly, however, they jump more than fly so their wings are often closed. The wings are gray with black spots, and the tip of the wings are black with gray veins.
Spotted lanternfly damage
The spotted lanternfly causes serious damage to trees. When this insect feeds, they excrete honeydew, or sugary water. This sugary substance on plants can result in the growth of black sooty mold. This mold is harmless to people, but damages the plant. This substance can also attract ants, bees, hornets, and wasps to feed on it. If you see black sooty mold or sticky areas on a plant or tree, it may be infested by the spotted lanternfly, but could also be caused by other insects. Ehrlich pest specialists can help identify the cause and provide the proper treatment.
Preventing spotted lanternfly
- This insect is easily moved so please “look before you leave.” Inspect your vehicle, trailer, or any outdoor item before you move it to another location.
- Try not to park your vehicle in tree lines and keep windows rolled up.
- Know the life stages of the insect and when to look for them.
- Remove the host tree, Tree of Heaven, from your property. To destroy the tree, you need to cut it down and apply herbicide to the stump.
- Apply sticky tree bands to trees on your property in early spring to catch nymphs.
- Destroy the spotted lanternfly and its egg masses.
If you believe you have a spotted lanternfly issue or are in areas where the pest has been identified, Ehrlich Pest Control can help. Call or send us a message today to get started.
**This service is only available in certain areas of Pennsylvania and Delaware. Please contact us to find out if we service your area.