Spotted lantern flies

[silverado427 10,730]

Has anyone noticed they're everywhere. They jump like crickets.

[voyager9 3,434]

They’ve been around a few years.  Invasive species.  Kill with fire.  

[maintenanceguy 510]

• three years ago saw my first one in Delaware.
• two years ago, saw the first one in my yard
• last year saw hundreds of them in my yard
• moving north.

[Bomber 1,092]

2 hours ago, silverado427 said:

Has anyone noticed they're everywhere. They jump like crickets.

Oh, so thats what they look like saw one today yeah they jump, should've have smashed it

[njJoniGuy 2,131]

There's a new warm-weather game here in the Glorious PRNJ - 

STOMP those evil little bastard spotted lantern flies whenever you can!

[Scorpio64 5,156]

SLF are somewhat difficult to kill with pesticides, the most effective way to manage an infestation is seek and destroy.  Look for SLF on it's favorite trees.  Ironically, its absolute favorite tree is something called Tree of Heaven, another "gift" from China.  You will know Tree of Heaven from its eh, unique odor during flowering.  SLF are also partial to willow trees.

Tree of Heaven is a prolific fast growing species that propagates itself through seed drop and suckers.  If you have a bunch on your property, cut them down and destroy the roots as much as possible, but leave a couple sacrificial trees to attract the SLF away from your trees and shrubs.  If you cut down every ToH and willow, the SLF will just find another tree or shrub to murder.

 

Inspect your trees and shrubs for these signs of infestation.

Nature has provided us a great ally in the fight against SLF and other destructive bugs, the parasitic wasp.  In spite of the terrible name, these tiny insects are a major plus to our ecology, so try not to kill them.  They do not (can not) sting and are parasitic in the sense that they lay their eggs in the bodies of host insects like SLF, moths and a bunch of other unwelcome garden pests.  The larvae literally eat the host from the inside out.

This is just one example of the many types of parasitic wasp.  They look like tiny wasps and can be seen hovering around flowing plants like humming birds.

 

 

[1LtCAP 4,264]

yaknow? i ain't seen any as yet this year......

[Scorpio64 5,156]

6 minutes ago, 1LtCAP said:

yaknow? i ain't seen any as yet this year......

You aren't looking hard enough.  Right now they are in the nymph phase of the cycle.  Look for small 1/8th to 1/4 inch black bugs with white spots (as pictured in the OP).  If you have rose bushes, they are probably there.

Here is the SLF in its life cycle.

[CMJeepster 2,778]

This is still a thing?  I thought that we move on to WuFlu?  Another gift from China.

"China is killing us!" - DJT

[Tunaman 549]

we have thousands of picture"B" above  in Bergen county right now.  Squashing as many as i can...

[45Doll 5,877]

Just like the Asian carp in the Great Lakes, another benefit of global commerce.

[father-of-three 243]

On 6/21/2023 at 9:06 AM, 1LtCAP said:

yaknow? i ain't seen any as yet this year......

I haven't seen any yet this year.  However, they have killed about 6 tree of heaven trees (I thought they were sumac trees) just outside the border of my yard.  They literally suck the life (sap) out of those trees.  I sprayed those trees for the past 2-3 years with no success.  Even wrapping duct tape around the trunks was ineffective.

[maintenanceguy 510]

On 6/22/2023 at 9:18 AM, father-of-three said:

I haven't seen any yet this year.  However, they have killed about 6 tree of heaven trees (I thought they were sumac trees) just outside the border of my yard.  They literally suck the life (sap) out of those trees.  I sprayed those trees for the past 2-3 years with no success.  Even wrapping duct tape around the trunks was ineffective.

Imidacloprid is an over the counter, systemic pesticide that will kill SLF.  It is sold by several different brand names and you can find it as a concentrate.  I've found up to 75% active ingredient.  Don't buy the home store stuff - it's just too watered down and will cost you a lot more to get the same amount.

It mimics nicotine and works very well for sucking insects as it is absorbed by the plant's roots and makes the whole tree poisonous to the lantern fly.   Follow the label instructions to drench the roots after mixing with water.  It takes some time for it to move through the plant but it will kill every lantern fly that shows up to feed.

It's more work than just spraying trees - because you need to read the label and do some math to mix and apply it right.  But it works.  but it needs to be done now so it has time to get into the tree.

[CMJeepster 2,778]

On 6/23/2023 at 9:42 PM, maintenanceguy said:

Imidacloprid is an over the counter, systemic pesticide that will kill SLF.  It is sold by several different brand names and you can find it as a concentrate.  I've found up to 75% active ingredient.  Don't buy the home store stuff - it's just too watered down and will cost you a lot more to get the same amount.

It mimics nicotine and works very well for sucking insects as it is absorbed by the plant's roots and makes the whole tree poisonous to the lantern fly.   Follow the label instructions to drench the roots after mixing with water.  It takes some time for it to move through the plant but it will kill every lantern fly that shows up to feed.

It's more work than just spraying trees - because you need to read the label and do some math to mix and apply it right.  But it works.  but it needs to be done now so it has time to get into the tree.

Or a Glock 19.

[voyager9 3,434]

3 hours ago, CMJeepster said:

Or a Glock 19.

Instructions unclear.   Rose bushes have holes in them.