Spotted lanternflies are bad because as soon as they become established and spread to new uncontrolled areas, they can severely damage both native and economically important plants.
What are the Harmful Effects of Spotted Lanternflies?
The spotted lanternflies cause numerous detrimental reactions and most are due to the sap they ooze after they attack all the greenery.
We will share the research you need to help make an impact, and try to save some of the native trees and vegetation from the lanternflies.
Other reactions may include wilting, leaf curling, and die back in trees, vines, shrubs and many others.
How Does the Spotted Lanternfly Damage Plants and Trees?
Lanternflies cause damage to tree and plant saps.
Because of their diet, the fecal matter from these insects can spur fungal disease.
This insect feeds on plant sap and excretes most of the carbohydrates they consume in the way of honeydew.
Honeydew creates excellent conditions for fungus growth, decreasing yield by covering the leaves, blocking sunlight, and killing plants.
The main reasons lanternflies attack the host are to feed or survive.
A few varieties of host plants affected by these pests are:
- Almonds
- Apples
- Apricots
- Nectarines
- Oak
- Peaches
- Pine
- Plums
- Walnut
- Willow
How to Get Rid of Spotted Lanternflies Bugs
Here are some ways to eliminate spotted lanternfly. This will provide you with a good understanding of how lanternflies are destroyed to manage their population.
Manually Identification and Killing
The best method to eliminate the Spotted Lanternfly is to find them and squish them. Do this as long as it isn’t flying, since it is an invasive.
While the bugs are good jumpers, they aren’t as fast when they do fly, so you should have an easy time stomping them.
Capture in a Plastic Bottle
Even though it works, catching lanternflies in a bottle is hardly a convenient way to get rid of this bothersome insect.
It’s simply putting an empty water bottle without a lid over the insects.
You would cap it between collection locations or point out you can store it in your refrigerator to kill them before disposing of the bottle.
Scrapping Off of Eggs
When exposed to low temperatures, Lanternflies will die. The eggs tend to be deposited on tree bark and the underside of tree branches.
Autumn and winter are the best times to collect these eggs before it’s too late.
Using a stick, knife, or any hard object, scrape the egg masses off and then throw the egg to a container filled with alcohol which is used to kill the eggs.
Introduction of Natural Predators
Natural predators offer an effective option for eliminating spotted lanternflies in an environmentally friendly manner.
Animals that feed on the spotted lanternfly include:
- grey catbirds
- cats
- dogs
- ducks
- chickens
- wheel bugs
- hornets
- green frogs
- fishing spider goldfish
- koi fish
- and yellow jackets
Plant More Milkweed
Spotted lanternflies are drawn to common milkweed not knowing it’s poisonous.
The poisonous sap slows the insect down so it’s easier to catch and smash.
Planting more milkweed also has the added benefit of helping to save the monarch butterfly.
Use Sticky Paper and Duct Tape
Attach tape to the bases of trees that the spotted lanternfly is attracted to and continuously monitor the tape. Once they become stuck, they are not able to spread their wings and fly to the next tree to continue damage.
Be sure that the tape is slightly above the ground level so that you maintain the capture of the false positive or wrong target crawling insects.
Spray Weeds with Vinegar
When you observe these bugs in weeds, just spray them down with vinegar. They die immediately and take care of the weeds, too.
Apply Table Salt to The Insect from Close Range
Use guns to eliminate the spotted lanternfly. It may not be the first shot to kill them, but it will certainly shock them and then stomp them.
How to Prevent Spotted Lanternfly Attacks
Here are some ways you can reduce the risk of Spotted Lanternfly attacks:
- To keep the spotted lanternfly from entering your yard, you’ll need to eliminate tree of heaven. The tree of heaven will probably grow in small numbers and is the preferred choice of food for spotted lanternfly.
- Eggs a removed in a plastic container with hand sanitizer and discard into the trash while sealed.
- You may also cover your plants with a net. The holes in the netting need to be small enough that the insect cannot get through the netting.
Wrapping Up
Spotted lanternflies are a nuisance, and overall bad for everyone whether it was just their sight or whether they have an effect on economically important flora, they are a pest.
They also affect pets too, in that they can cause nausea, if eaten, in dogs and vomiting in humans.
The best way to approach dealing with lanternflies is considering prevention measures in this article.
If you need to eliminate an infestation, another tactic is to remove their favoured tree, the tree of heaven, either partially or completely.
If you are in fact dealing with an infestation there are several options:
- To start, use insecticides on the trees and plants that were affected and prune (remove) the affected leaves.
- Next, destroy the eggs you can see by smashing them or applying chemicals to them. Depending on the extent of the infestation, you may need a professional to step in and assist you.
- Lastly, and most importantly, do not use any home remedies (e.g., vinegar, soap) to treat the bugs.
This is not to say they do not work at all, but they typically require relatively high amounts, and could even lead to plant products being unsafe for human consumption.