View Full Version : Spotted lanternfly ?
Not sure if there's already a thread on this but.....
How big of a problem are these little boogers?
I'm about a half hour north of Harpers Ferry and I just this morning found one on my back door stoop.
I told someone about it at work and they told me I'm supposed to report it.
somers515
08-11-2022, 06:58
In NJ we are encouraged to kill them on sight. Two years ago I hadn't seen one in my area, last year we had a few and I reported it. This year there are even more.
USDA APHIS | Spotted Lanternfly (https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/pests-diseases/hungry-pests/the-threat/spotted-lanternfly/spotted-lanternfly)
Traveler
08-11-2022, 07:06
Like most non-native insects, Spotted Lanternfly represent a pretty significant risk to trees, shrubs, and gardens. Most states where these insects are found encourage their destruction on site to help slow their proliferation. Reporting sightings of the insect is valuable data that can provide State agencies useful information for population control methods much as it did for the Spongy Moth Caterpillar (formerly Gypsy Moth Caterpillar).
https://www.agriculture.pa.gov/Plants_Land_Water/PlantIndustry/Entomology/spotted_lanternfly/SpottedLanternflyAlert/Pages/default.aspx
Majortrauma
08-11-2022, 08:59
Kill them with impunity and report it.
Birthright
08-11-2022, 23:47
I googled it. It is a pretty little moth. I would still attempt to remove it. I am a gardener. I don't like any insect that damages my crops.
I mass murdered a bunch of them last year, and am unapologetic.
Another lovely gift from our friends from the east destroys over 100 plants and bushes. Not sure what pronoun it prefered but it met its demise by way of porcelain convenience. I typically don't like to kill things even the occasional bug in the house I'll either let go or put it outside.
Old Grouse
08-12-2022, 10:05
Kill them with impunity and report it.
As of this morning the State of NJ is no longer asking you to report them since they've got so many (and so many reports). Just continue to kill them if possible.
There's a free webinar today at 12:00 pm:
Blue Ridge PRISM Brown Bag Webinar: Tree of Heaven & the Spotted Lanternfly (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brown-bag-webinar-tree-of-heaven-the-spotted-lanternfly-registration-348419601407?keep_tld=1)
Registration is required but it looks like registration is still open.
I can see that in areas that are already overwhelmed with Spotted Lanternfly reporting is not useful (re Old Grouse's comment). However, where it's just emerging, it is important to report.
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park has a page dedicated to the Lanternfly, with information on how to report it in Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland, and other useful links in other states.
Also—not sure if there is a better map somewhere else—but iNaturalist has a map showing citizen scientists reports of Lanternfly spottings. Even if it's not reflecting entire populations, it will give you an idea of whether it's been spotted near you or not. I think it's good to report there in addition to the official state websites. The iNaturalist app is really fun and easy to use, by the way! It's a great way to learn how to identify plants and animals. Because it sometimes gives multiple suggestions, I use it in tandem with the PictureThis app, and sometimes have to do additional. research, but it's a great way to get started.
Anybody out there hiking seen hundreds if not thousands on a tree. I've seen on YouTube this.
I can see that in areas that are already overwhelmed with Spotted Lanternfly reporting is not useful (re Old Grouse's comment). However, where it's just emerging, it is important to report.
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park has a page dedicated to the Lanternfly, with information on how to report it in Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland, and other useful links in other states.
Also—not sure if there is a better map somewhere else—but iNaturalist has a map showing citizen scientists reports of Lanternfly spottings. Even if it's not reflecting entire populations, it will give you an idea of whether it's been spotted near you or not. I think it's good to report there in addition to the official state websites. The iNaturalist app is really fun and easy to use, by the way! It's a great way to learn how to identify plants and animals. Because it sometimes gives multiple suggestions, I use it in tandem with the PictureThis app, and sometimes have to do additional. research, but it's a great way to get started.
Thank you I agree once overwhelmed what are we to do?
Very informative information, I'll check this app out.
I concur with the traveler we are going to have to come with something, maybe the gypsy moth spray will work on these " pretty little mothes as well".
.......and I had to Google were the gypsy moth came from .
From a fellow from Europe trying to make a sturdier silkworm.
Which now has a voracious appetite for more than 300 of our plants and trees,bushes!
One more question how far north are these appetites for destruction?
Anybody out there hiking seen hundreds if not thousands on a tree. I've seen on YouTube this.
Terminate by rolling pin?
Good night folks.
peakbagger
08-18-2022, 05:34
.......and I had to Google were the gypsy moth came from .
From a fellow from Europe trying to make a sturdier silkworm.
Which now has a voracious appetite for more than 300 of our plants and trees,bushes!
One more question how far north are these appetites for destruction?
The Spongy Moth (new name for Gypsy Moth) is in NH in the Southern Whites. The Conway NH area (about 10 miles south of the AT has been hit hard. Oaks really do not grow in abundance north of the White Mountain National Forest and Oak is the moth's preferred food. The moths will clean out the oaks and then move on to other tree types, but if the oaks are not there, they usually are not a major issue. Emerald Ash borer is also coming at the whites from the south and the east. Ash trees taper off north of the whites but the density in the woods is lower. EABs tend to move around a lot and most likely they will find enough Ash trees to wipe them out in the whites.
Thanks PB, kinda frustrating all we can do is watch the destruction. Are you spotting any of the spotted Lanternfly,yet?
And how far north are they wondering minds wanna know.
Thank you I agree once overwhelmed what are we to do?
If you've got a lot of them on your property, apparently the latest recommendation is to trap them, rather than employing a sticky band as previously recommended (too much collateral damage?) Here's how to build one: How to Build a New Style Spotted Lanternfly Circle Trap (https://extension.psu.edu/how-to-build-a-new-style-spotted-lanternfly-circle-trap?fbclid=IwAR0bd-eB-0Rfo5p15Dc-uc3JiJKIrvn2ZNqjl_uDMzfPg9E7WX86rKHvN0o). (This comes from the PennState Extension, which is considered the leading authority, I believe, at this time.)
As for larger scale, I haven't yet heard about spraying being employed as has been done for Gypsy moth/Spongy moth (although I haven't looked into that specifically). However, I do know Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (which covers more than 3,600 acres in West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia) is undertaking a multi-year project to greatly reduce the number of Spotted Lanternfly host trees (Tree-of-Heaven/Ailanthus altissima) in the park. I think the goal is to eventually reduce the number of trees by 80%.
One thing I haven't yet learned is how much removing Tree-of-Heaven impacts the Spotted Lanternfly population. The lanternfly will feed on over 70 different other plant species even if Tree-of-Heaven is preferred. Regardless, controlling the highly invasive exotic Tree-of-Heaven is definitely worthwhile as it "produces an overly abundant amount of seeds, crowds out native species with its dense thickets and secretes a chemical into the soil that is toxic to surrounding plants" according to one source.
Sarcasm the elf
08-18-2022, 22:06
I killed hundreds of SLFs on trail in Northern PA last October. It got so bad that I had to stop because it was taking up so much time that it was messing up my itinerary. :(
I killed hundreds of SLFs on trail in Northern PA last October. It got so bad that I had to stop because it was taking up so much time that it was messing up my itinerary. :(
Thanks so much for your efforts! Sounds depressing and disgusting—but hopefully gratifying!
If you've got a lot of them on your property, apparently the latest recommendation is to trap them, rather than employing a sticky band as previously recommended (too much collateral damage?) Here's how to build one: How to Build a New Style Spotted Lanternfly Circle Trap (https://extension.psu.edu/how-to-build-a-new-style-spotted-lanternfly-circle-trap?fbclid=IwAR0bd-eB-0Rfo5p15Dc-uc3JiJKIrvn2ZNqjl_uDMzfPg9E7WX86rKHvN0o). (This comes from the PennState Extension, which is considered the leading authority, I believe, at this time.)
As for larger scale, I haven't yet heard about spraying being employed as has been done for Gypsy moth/Spongy moth (although I haven't looked into that specifically). However, I do know Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (which covers more than 3,600 acres in West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia) is undertaking a multi-year project to greatly reduce the number of Spotted Lanternfly host trees (Tree-of-Heaven/Ailanthus altissima) in the park. I think the goal is to eventually reduce the number of trees by 80%.
One thing I haven't yet learned is how much removing Tree-of-Heaven impacts the Spotted Lanternfly population. The lanternfly will feed on over 70 different other plant species even if Tree-of-Heaven is preferred. Regardless, controlling the highly invasive exotic Tree-of-Heaven is definitely worthwhile as it "produces an overly abundant amount of seeds, crowds out native species with its dense thickets and secretes a chemical into the soil that is toxic to surrounding plants" according to one source.
Thank you good information I'll pass it on . I only found a few but a buddy of mine from work lives not to far and has a farm and garden and bees etc but he said he'd been seeing them by the hundreds. That's a pretty aggressive move removing all them trees. I was reading that link and they mentioned grape vines there's alot of grape vine farmers in northern VA ,alot of $ investment I wonder what they're doing.
And if we have spray for the gypsy moth why are they still eating up all the rest like peakbagger explains?
Darn, trees like peakbagger explains
If all that's true about the tree of heaven it sounds like an invasive species in itself like the Virginia creeper. And named changed to tree of hell!
If all that's true about the tree of heaven it sounds like an invasive species in itself like the Virginia creeper. And named changed to tree of hell!
Yes, Tree of Heaven is bad—a highly invasive non-native tree—and should probably be renamed! That webinar about the Spotted Lanternfly and Tree of Heaven is now online at youtu.be/GyLqPPWMPFA (https://youtu.be/GyLqPPWMPFA) if you want to learn more about the two of them.
By the way, Virginia Creeper can be very aggressive, so I'm told. However, it is native. Where I live outside Harpers Ferry, the deer are so overabundant that mostly because of them invasive exotic species have taken over in most areas. Virginia Creeper is one of the very few native plants deer don't care much for. However, when the deer have eaten all the native plants to their liking they will eat almost any native plant they might otherwise find distasteful. For that reason I treasure Virginia Creeper and do everything I can to encourage it on my property.
These days I think the favored terminology is to describe a native plant that grows prolifically as "aggressive" and an exotic/non-native plant that grows prolifically as "invasive."
Not sure I agree with that, though. Here, again because of the deer, the native Paw Paw tree has completely taken over the understory because it's about the only native tree or shrub that deer won't eat. It sure seems like they are "invading" our woods, even if they aren't a foreign invader. No other native tree species now seems to have a chance of germinating between the deer eating the saplings and the deep shade that Paw Paws create.
Yall don't tell anyone but I'm at work and getting paid to Whiteblaze:)
Anyway ok it's now known as the tree of hell. Thanks for the link I'll watch it when I have an hour to kill probably this weekend.
You are a wealth of information we're learning so much here.
I heard the praying mantis eats the SLF , so we just have to get a billion of them and drop by helicopter. And yes it's an aggression not an invasion.
Yall don't tell anyone but I'm at work and getting paid to Whiteblaze:)
Anyway ok it's now known as the tree of hell. Thanks for the link I'll watch it when I have an hour to kill probably this weekend.
You are a wealth of information we're learning so much here.
I heard the praying mantis eats the SLF , so we just have to get a billion of them and drop by helicopter. And yes it's an aggression not an invasion.
I'm just glad you care!
Sarcasm the elf
09-05-2022, 21:54
That's one enjoyable way to get rid of them. :D
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CiJOqihu8q0/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
That's one enjoyable way to get rid of them. :D
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CiJOqihu8q0/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Whack em and stack em!