To Control Spotted Lanternfly Growth In MA, Destroy Egg Masses Now

MASSACHUSETTS — During spring lawn cleanup, keep your eyes out for spotted lanternfly egg masses, an effective way to slow the spread in Massachusetts of this pretty but destructive plant hopper that Agriculture Department officials say poses a serious threat to the nation’s grape, orchard and logging industries.

Established spotted lanternfly populations were recorded last year in 14 states, including Massachusetts, but also Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and West Virginia.

Already this year, some states, including Maryland, are expanding spotted lanternfly quarantine areas with expected exploding populations. In general, individuals and businesses in a now 17-county area of that state must be trained and certified by the state before moving any materials that may contain the pests at any stage of development, including egg masses.

Spotted lanternflies were initially found in Massachusetts in 2020 in Milford and Norwood. The invasive pests were brought into the state on materials shipped from Pennsylvania that were under a spotted lanternfly quarantine, according to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. In 2022, an infestation of spotted lanternflies was reported in Springfield.

The department has an online reporting form for sightings of spotted lanternflies. Department officials said that early detection plays an important role in protecting the state's ecology from this invasive species.

Most states are at risk because spotted lanternfly populations move around easily, according to the USDA. Besides the trees they feed on, their preferred places to lay their mud-like egg masses, which can contain as many as 50 eggs, are surfaces on movable objects such as bicycles, lawnmowers, grills and the family car.

Removing and destroying egg masses now before hungry nymphs emerge is the best defense against their spread, ag officials say. The insects are at their most destructive at that point, feeding on more than 100 varieties of fruit, ornamental and woody trees, as well as vines, vegetables, herbs and grains. Areas with substantial grape industries are worried because a spotted lanternfly infestation can not only reduce yield, but lower the sugar in remaining grapes.

Here’s what to look for:

By now, egg masses will have faded from glossy white to gray or brown, and they’re about an inch and a half long. If you find an egg mass:

Take a picture and report it to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. Scrape off egg masses, put them in a plastic zippered bag filled with hand sanitizer, then zip the bag and dispose of it in the garbage.

In a widespread population control effort, people in areas with infestations were encouraged to squish adult lantern flies — before they deposited their egg masses — wherever they encountered them.

“Harming our city's wildlife is prohibited, but in an effort to slow the spread of this troublesome species, we are putting out a one-time call: If you see a spotted lanternfly, please squish and dispose of this invasive pest,” the New York City Parks Department said last August.

Last year, ag officials said spotted lanternflies were moving westward into the central United States, with new reports filed in Iowa, Michigan and North Carolina. Reports were also filed in Kansas in 2021. States farther west, including Utah, California and Oregon, have observed dead lanternflies, though it’s unclear if the plant hoppers naturally migrated there, or hitched a ride with humans.