Spotted Lanternfly Info for Homeowners

By now most, people have heard about the Spotted lanternfly. It is an invasive plant hopper, native to Asia, that was first detected in southeastern Pennsylvania in 2014, in northern New Jersey in 2018 and in nearby Palmyra this summer. I found one in my back yard a few weeks ago. So while it is here, we haven’t yet seen the invasions that you probably have seen in videos in Philadelphia and surrounding counties, but we will next year if we do nothing.

Here’s what you need to know:

• SLF is a destructive invasive pest, threatening agricultural, timber, and ornamental industries, and the plants in your backyard.
• SLF is currently under quarantine in many counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
• SLF does not bite or sting.
• Stop the spread of SLF by checking your car and any outdoor equipment (grills, mowers, firewood, etc.) when going in and out of the quarantine zone.
• Manage SLF on your property by scraping eggs, banding trees, removing the favored host (tree-of-heaven), and using chemical control when appropriate.

Here’s what you can do:

• NOW is the time to look for egg masses! Destroying one egg mass now will prevent hundreds from hatching in the spring and destroying our valuable tree assets. If you see egg masses (pictured here), scrape them off, double bag them and throw them away. You can also place the eggs into alcohol, bleach or hand sanitizer to kill them.
• NOTE: The eggs masses are white, but are covered by a gray substance. Look for the gray patches and expect the white eggs to appear as you scrape it off.
• Watch instructional video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoFp_MbDiE8
• Take a picture: With your GPS function turned on your smartphone or a camera with GPS, take a photograph of ANY life stage (including egg masses)
• Submit picture to: SLF-plantindustry@ag.nj.gov
• Report a site: If you can’t take a photograph, call New Jersey Spotted Lanternfly Hotline at 1-833-223- 2840 (BADBUG0) and leave a message detailing your sighting and contact information.

Get more detailed info at these links:

https://njaes.rutgers.edu/spotted-lanternfly/

https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly-management-for-homeowners

https://www.state.nj.us/agriculture/news/press/2018/approved/press180717.html

The information in this press release is provided by your Moorestown Township Tree Preservation and Planting Committee. You can contact us at moorestowntrees@gmail.com.