Spotted Lanternflies Now Hatching In PA: Here's How To Trap Them

PENNSYLVANIA — While the pandemic has turned society upside down, and as election and social unrest hit Pennsylvania in waves over the past year, it may have been easy to forget about another, more inconspicuous element that has been lurking in the cities and the woods of Pennsylvania for years now.

The invasive spotted lanternfly has been catastrophic to the environment and economy in many parts of Pennsylvania, and the threat exists for an even more profound impact on industries and ecosystems into the future.

The bad bugs hatch at the end of April or early May, officials say, so it's prime time to keep an eye out for them and destroy them at all costs. The more eggs that are killed now, and the more lanternflies trapped and killed now, the fewer there will be later in the summer.

The spotted lanternfly is native to Asia, but arrived in the U.S. in Berks County, Pa., on a shipment in 2014. The species has been advancing ever since, causing Pennsylvania to have 34 counties currently under quarantine.

But fortunately, we're not helpless in this fight. There's a way for every citizen to battle back against the invasive critter. Sticky bands wrapped around trees are used to good effect, but the problem is that these traps also trap other creatures, including good bugs, and even small birds.

Building or purchasing a safer and more effective trap is fairly straightforward, as Penn State Extension explains.

"This new style trap is made of plastic-coated insect screening and does not use any sticky material at all," the university says. "It is basically a tunnel that SLFs walk into. When they move upward in the trap, they end up in a dead-end collection container where they die."

Precise instructions on how to build the trap are on the Penn State Extension page. You'll need a few basic supplies: a rectangle of a window screen, a few pieces of wood (11 x 1 and 18 x 1), some wire, plastic milk jugs, duct tape, stapler, hot glue, and other minor pieces.

Spotted lanternfly egg masses hold between 30-50 eggs of the invasive species. One sign to look for to see where lanternfly has been is a black sooty mold on a tree. The spotted lanternfly prefers the Tree of Heaven, which is common in Pennsylvania.

Nymph and adult spotted lanternflies cause extensive damage when they feed on vegetation, sucking sap from stems and leaves and causing the plant to ooze and weep. Not only does the plant die but the "fermented odor" caused by the feeding, along with the fluid excreted by the insects themselves, promotes mold growth and draws even more insects, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

This is not only devastating for the environment, but has a huge impact on several of the state's major agricultural industries.

In addition to this trap, Pennsylvanians should always kill spotted lanternflies when they're seen. Egg masses are easy to identify and should be scraped off. Use a putty knife, credit card, or other firm, blunt-edged tool to scrape. A helpful tutorial on this process is here, courtesy of Penn State Extension.