Spotted Lanternfly Invasion Spreads: How To Stop The Pest In MD

MARYLAND — Invasive spotted lanternflies, first discovered eight years ago in Pennsylvania and confirmed in Maryland, appear to be moving westward into the central United States, with new reports filed with the state agriculture departments this year in Iowa and Michigan.

But Maryland still plays an important role in stopping the pest, which can devastate grapes, hops and other crops.

Spotted lanternflies were confirmed in Kansas in 2021 and in North Carolina earlier this year. 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.

Even in states where infestations or dead lanternflies haven’t been found, landscapers and gardeners are wise to keep an eye on them. They move quickly, jumping from plant to plant, and hitching a ride as products like landscaping plants, firewood and other products move across the country.

If you find a spotted lanternfly, file a report with state officials. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says most states are at risk, and timely reports are the best way to eradicate the insects before they become even more invasive.

In Maryland, spotted lanternflies have been reported since 2018 in Cecil County. The pest has spread to Harford County, and smaller populations have also been found in Baltimore City, and Allegany, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Howard, Kent, Montgomery, Queen Anne, Wicomico, and Washington counties.

Adult spotted lanternflies, meanwhile, can be seen from July until December, according to the Maryland Department of Agriculture. They lay egg masses from September through December.

A quarantine order first issued by the secretary of agriculture three years ago for Harford and Cecil counties is still in effect, but has been expanded this year to also include: Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Howard, Kent, Montgomery and Washington counties, as well as Baltimore City, state agriculture officials said.

The quarantine restricts moving materials that might contain the spotted lanternfly in any of its life stages, including egg masses, nymphs, and adults. Residents are asked to check backpacks, bicycles, trash cans, lumber and other material before moving it.

To report a sighting of a spotted lanternfly or any egg masses, contact the Maryland Department of Agriculture at (410) 841-5920 or DontBug.MD@maryland.gov.

Spotted lanternflies have a three-stage lifecycle. They’re prolific breeders and lay masses of 30 to 50 eggs in once place. The eggs are covered with a waxy, mud-colored substance called an ootheca that dries and cracks, an effective camouflage. They overwinter as eggs, go through four nymphal development stages (instars) and an adult stage.

Right now, spotted lanternflies are in their adult stage.

The Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences notes that while many photos show them with their wings unfolded, exposing their red-spotted underwings, that only happens when they’re ready to take flight. It’s more common to see adults resting with their black-spotted, pinkish-tan wings folded over their backs. When females are carrying eggs, their abdomens swell to the point they can barely fly.

If you see them, trap them.

New Jersey Patch collaborated with Duke Farms environmental experts to show readers how to make do-it-yourself lanternfly traps. (See the 11-minute step-by-step video below.)

You’ll need:

• 2 plastic 1-gallon milk or water jugs that can be cut with scissors
• 2 one-half-inch thick rubber bands
• 1 22-inch-long piece of 16-gauge metal wire
• 1 24-inch-by-36-inch plastic coated screen, such as a window screen replacement
• 1 2.5-gallon Ziplock bag
• 1 6-inch long piece of all-weather tape
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• All-natural string or twine

Here are more things to know about spotted lanternflies:

The plant hoppers aren’t picky eaters as nymphs, 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.

Although lanternflies usually do not kill plants, they suck out sugars that significantly weaken their hosts and leave behind massive amounts of honeydew — that is, excrement — which is typical of the true bug order Hemiptera.

The honeydew can attract other insects, including wasps, ants and bees, and also cause a sooty mold to grow on the plant, interfering with its ability to photosynthesize and create the energy it needs to survive and grow.

Some plants that are at risk: grape, peaches, black walnut, red maple, silver maple, eastern white pine, weeping willow, black willow, black cherry, sycamore. Tree of heaven is the primary host for spotted lanternfly.