Tips to Squash Spotted Lanternfly

It’s spotted lanternfly season. We need your help. 

The spotted lanternfly is an invasive species that poses a significant threat to peach, apple, grape and wine industries across Virginia and the country. 

These invasive insects feed on more than 70 plant species, so check around your yard. If you find any, squash, stomp and smash on sight. They also create an unattractive sticky black or white mess coating surfaces under trees due excess fluid called “honeydew”. This mess can smell and can be hard to clean up.

They are a moving target and there is no preemptive pesticide to keep them from coming on your property. Spotted lanternflies won't hurt or bite you or your pets. 

How to Help

If you see adult spotted lanternflies, stomp/kill them immediately. If they evade you, then scrape them into the bottom of a cut plastic water bottle, shake it to disorient them, then dump them on the ground and stomp on them.

If you see egg masses on trees, yard objects, vehicles and other types of outdoor surfaces into November, then scrape those masses. The egg masses are covered in a light gray colored wax that looks like mud when it dries.

• Egg masses should be carefully scraped into a container and drowned in soapy water or rubbing alcohol.
• Pesticides are unnecessary and should be avoided.
• Egg masses can be safely disposed of in your trash, composted or simply buried in your yard.

How to Report

If you find spotted lanternfly, please report your findings through the mobile app iNaturalist.