Spot That Lanternfly

You don’t have to wait until fall to smash invasive spotted lanternflies. 

We at Morgantown magazine love the outdoors and would usually tell you to respect all of its inhabitants. But right now, we—and scientists across the country—are telling you to eradicate one particular insect on sight: the spotted lanternfly.

You likely crossed paths with this unpopular insect dressed in polka dots last summer—or the red smears left on sidewalks after it had been stomped by upstanding citizens. It’s a planthopper that hails from parts of China and Vietnam and arrived in the United States in the early 2010s as a hitchhiker on international shipments to Pennsylvania. 

Since then, it’s made itself at home in 21 states and counting—including West Virginia—and cost the agricultural and forestry industries millions of dollars in damages. 

Talk about a troublesome guest.

That’s why scientists have been advising the following action for several years: If you see one, stomp it. But you don’t have to wait until spotted lanternflies reach maturity to eradicate them—in fact, the immature nymphs are all around us right now, dressed in white polka dots. And you can eliminate them before they reach adulthood, don black polka dots, and have the chance to reproduce. 

And there are a few ways to do it that don’t involve your shoes.

It’s easy to lay traps for spotted lanternflies that are climbing tree trunks, but you have to be careful not to interfere with other wildlife in the process. Carlos Quesada, an entomology specialist from West Virginia University Extension, recommends two types of traps described by PennState Extension:

• Sticky bands: Wrap no more than two inches of flypaper or duct tape around a tree. Then, create a wildlife barrier using window screening and push pins to prevent animals like birds and chipmunks from becoming stuck.
• Circle traps: It’s basically a tunnel with a dead end. Spotted lanternfly nymphs walk right in, then can’t get back out. Learn how to DIY a circle trap here.

Quesada recommends the following methods for destroying spotted lanternflies throughout the year.

Springtime and summertime

• Smash immature nymphs.
• Sticky bands.
• Circle traps.
• Before driving between locations, check yourself and your vehicle for hitchhiking lanternflies. If you’re moving outdoor materials—like lumber or lawn furniture—conduct a thorough inspection.

Summertime and fall

• Smash immature nymphs and mature adults.
• Sticky bands.
• Circle traps.
• When driving or moving outdoor materials, conduct a thorough inspection for hitchhiking lanternflies.
• Use systemic insecticides on infested trees—insecticides that are applied to soil and spread to even the highest branches of a tree. This should only be used after a tree has completed its flowering season, to avoid affecting pollinators.

Fall and wintertime

• Smash mature adults.
• Smash egg masses, which look like gray clay smeared on any flat surface, including trees, rocks, and walls.
• When moving outdoor materials, conduct a thorough inspection for egg masses.
• Use systemic insecticides on infested trees.

Now get out there and spot, trap, and smash, those spotted lanternflies!

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