All About the Spotted Lanternfly & How to Get Rid of Them!

Lycorma delicatula, also known as the Spotted Lanternfly, was introduced into the United States in 2014, and has slowly been spreading from Southeastern Pennsylvania & Philadelphia. This insect feeds on fruit and hardwood trees as well as grapevines and poses many threats to our economy. Its favorite tree, Ailanthus altissima or the Tree of Heaven, is an extremely invasive plant found in many states all over the US. It has no natural predators here, so its populations are exploding, and you may see thousands of them covering your trees or backyards. In this video, I cover their life cycle from egg to nymph to adult stages. I present on their diet and why they are such an invasive, dangerous insect that will inevitably spread throughout the country. Lastly, I show you all 7-8 different ways to trap, kill or get rid of them. Hopefully this helps and good luck combating them in your area!

Timeline:

0:00 - Introduction

0:29 - Where did the Spotted Lanternfly come from? How did they get to the US?

1:18 - Comparison to Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs

1:35 - Background of SLF's life cycle (Egg, first / second / third / fourth instar, adult)

2:55 - Adults Emerge - they have wings and can fly (kind of)

3:26 - Female laying eggs on Tree-of-Heaven

3:51 - What does the Spotted Lanternfly Eat?

4:40 - Why is the lanternfly bad / dangerous to our economy?

4:58 - Lanternfly poop is called Honeydew

5:47 - What eats the Spotted Lanternfly? Are there any predators?

6:18 - How to get rid of the Spotted Lanterfly

7:00 - Stomp them out!

7:23 - Tape your Trees (with wire)

8:03 - Plastic Bottle Trick!

8:19 - Use a Shop Vac or cordless vacuum cleaner!

8:25 - Get rid of your Trees of Heaven, and replace them with a native tree!

8:51 - Dawn / Soap or detergent and water in a bucket

9:04 - DO NOT spray a general pesticide!

9:23 - Get creative - Fly Zapper

9:41 - Report the Spotted Lanternfly if this is the first time you're seeing it in your area (links below).

Websites to report sightings to:

Pennsylvania - https://www.agriculture.pa.gov/Plants_Land_Water/PlantIndustry/Entomology/spotted_lanternfly/Pages/default.aspx

Maryland - https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/26f9dbec58674313b1bec03ddb8b5f0e

Ohio - https://agri.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/oda/divisions/plant-health/invasive-pests/slf

Delaware - https://agriculture.delaware.gov/plant-industries/spotted-lanternfly/

Virginia - http://vainvasivespecies.org/species/spotted-lanternfly

New Jersey - https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/pi/prog/spottedlanternfly.html

New York - https://nysipm.cornell.edu/environment/invasive-species-exotic-pests/spotted-lanternfly