One spotted lanternfly looks harmless — even handsome.
(Photo courtesy of News12 Connecticut)
But when hundreds swarm on a tree — as they’ve done to one in the Winslow Park woods — it’s clear that they’re dangerous.
Tree of heaven with spotted lanternflies, in Winslow Park. (Photo/Michael Mossman)
Kelle Ruden of the Westport Garden Club passes along some important information on this area’s newest, most invasive pest. It was compiled by Nathalie Fonteyne Gavrilovic, University of Connecticut advanced master gardener, and civics chair for the Westport Garden Club.
The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) was first seen in Pennsylvania in 2014. The first Connecticut sighting occurred in in 2018.
There have been many sightings around Westport, and a fair amount of concern.
This insect is a real threat to our agriculture and forests. It is attracted to many trees and vines, though its preferred host is the invasive tree of heaven (Ailanthus alatus), which is abundant around town. It also is attracted to maples, willows, and 70 other species.
The lanternfly is not a great flyer, and does not pose a threat to humans. It is a sap-sucking insect.
The insect does not sting or bite. It inflicts damage by sucking the sap from plants, thus weakening the plant. As it feeds, it excretes a sugary substance (“honeydew”) which attracts other insects and promotes the growth of sooty mold. This black oozing substance is an indicator of the presence of Lanternfly.
There is one generation per year. But each female can lay one to two egg masses that can contain 30 to 60 eggs each. Click here to learn more about its life cycle.
Female spotted lanternfly with egg mass. (Photo courtesy of Cornell.edu)
Right now, the females are laying their eggs. The public can help reduce the insect population by spotting and destroying the egg masses.
These can be found on any hard surfaces. The females are not picky; they will lay on plastic or metal, as well as tree trunks or the underside of branches.
Egg masses look like a splotch of mud or putty, and are about 1 ½ inch by ¾ inch. Eighty to 90% of egg masses on trees are found 10 feet and above from the ground.
Inspect your property (wood siding, lampposts, tree trunks, undersides of branches, sheds, campers, basketball hoops, etc.). Document egg masses, report them, and destroy them.
Scrape the egg masses using a scraper (old plastic card, paint scraper, a spatula for example). Scrape the egg masses in a re-sealable bag (Ziploc works well); then spray or squirt some alcohol or hand sanitizer in the bag. Seal it (double bag it if possible).
You can also squish the eggs, but make sure all the eggs are not viable before the bag is thrown away.
We will not be able to eradicate all the egg masses, Nathalie notes. But together we can make a dent in the population.
For more information, click the links below:
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/plant_health/fs-slf-lookalikes.508.pdf
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All of this is on the CT website as well.
Susan, can you please share the link that will take us to the location on the CT Website?
Thank you for this important & timely information!
Mary
I also thank you for this very important information! The link to the state site is: https://portal.ct.gov/CAES/CAPS/CAPS/Spotted-Lanternfly—SLF
Spraying them with diluted dawn dish soap (not sure all others) or vinegar will kill them, so I have read. Have yet to try it.
There’s a reason ships in the age of sail were scrubbed with vinegar! It’s a good old fashioned killer of bad things!
Also makes a fine weed killer…add a dash of liquid dish soap to a gallon, for adherence, and you have an effective, environmentally safe
weed weapon.
white vinegar has many positive affects from killing bugs. killing weeds cleans stains off concrete. cleans grout.
We have been eradicating the Spotted Lanternfly in the Long Lots Preserve since we began the project in the spring of 2022. Removing the Tree of Heaven is a critical first step. It is a non-native, invasive, fast growing shade tree brought over from China in the late 1700s as a horticultural specimen and shade tree. It has very little wildlife value. Be careful as it looks like the Black Walnut and Sumac trees which are native and have high wildlife value.
The Tree of Heaven is everywhere. It produces thousands of seeds and spreads through its root system as well. When you cut it down, Tree of Heaven will sprout new trees from its stump and root system. It’s nasty!
Thank you to Bartlett Tree Experts for removing several of them from the Long Lots Preserve property.
We are monitoring the population of the Spotted Lanternfly in the Westport Community Gardens and the surrounding Longs Lots Preserve to see if eradicating the Tree of Heaven reduces the Lanternfly population. We are also scraping the egg masses wherever we see them. They particularly like laying these egg masses on the wooden grape arbor built by Eagle Scout Brandon Wisniewski many years ago.
This was Dr. Smith’s reply to my reporting my recent lantern fly sighting on my house. I wish we could have learned about statewide infestation earlier:
8/28/23:
“Thank you for your inquiry concerning spotted lantern fly. This area is already known to be infested. For tips on dealing with SLF, please see https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/CAES/CAPS/CAES-SLF-Residential-Factsheet.pdf. Should you find any more insects, please kill them immediately with any means at your disposal. Thank you again for your interest.
Dr. Victoria Lynn Smith, State Entomologist
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
123 Huntington Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Phone 203-974-8474
Victoria.smith@ct.gov
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored. Aldous Huxley”
Love Doctor Smith’s email tag line, “Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored. Aldous Huxley” I’m glad I live in Connecticut.