Spotted Lanternfly Eggs To Hatch Soon In NJ: Here's How To Kill Them

NEW JERSEY — As temperatures warm up in the Garden State, now is the perfect time to get outside and kill and destroy those pesky Spotted Lanternfly egg masses before they hatch this spring.

"Now is a great time to spot egg masses on tree bark and flat surfaces," said Nora DiChiara, director of programs and strategic planning at nature preserve Dukes Farms in Hillsborough.

While the harsh winter elements killed the adult spotted lanternflies, sadly, "the egg masses are hardy and remain a threat through the cold weather," said DiChiara.

The Spotted Lanternfly eggs are expected to hatch over an extended period of time with the first instar nymphs appearing in May.

Each of those spotted lanternfly egg masses hold between 30 to 50 eggs of the invasive species. One sign to look for to see where lanternfly has been is a black sooty mold on a tree. The spotted lanternfly prefers the Tree of Heaven, which is common in New Jersey.

"The masses look like a greyish tan crackled mud – similar to Silly Putty," said DiChiara.

The egg masses can be found on tree bark, firewood, rocks, flat surfaces, and even patio furniture.

If you find egg masses on your property, you can scrape them off using a plastic card or putty knife, according to PennState Extension.

The eggs should be scraped into a bag or container filled with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer to kill them. Egg masses should not be scraped off onto the ground as they can still hatch.

Egg masses can also be smashed, but there needs to be an even and forceful pressure placed on the entire egg mass.

See a how-to video by PennState Extension on how to destroy the eggs properly:

"It’s important to kill the masses now, before they hatch in May. It’s much easier to smash the eggs before they become grown-ups destroying crops and trees," said DiChara. "The only good spotted lanternfly is a dead spotted lanternfly."

If these eggs hatch the insect has the potential to "greatly impact" agricultural crops and trees, according to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. The spotted lanternfly feeds on sap from more than 70 different plant species, leading to the plants' decreased health and potentially death.

The spotted lanternfly is an invasive species native to China, India and Vietnam. It was first discovered in the United States in Berks County, Pennsylvania, on a shipment and has since spread to eight other states, including New Jersey. Read More: Spotted Lanternflies Keep Spreading. NJ Wants You To Kill Them

Officials first detected New Jersey populations in 2019. As a result, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture issued an 13-county quarantine:

• Burlington
• Camden
• Essex
• Gloucester
• Hunterdon
• Mercer
• Middlesex
• Monmouth
• Morris
• Salem
• Somerset
• Union
• Warren

If the lanternfly eggs do hatch, Patch collaborated with Duke Farms environmental experts at the Hillsborough nature preserve to show readers how to make their own lanternfly trap. Read More and See Video: Catch And Kill NJ Spotted Lanternflys With This Trap

Young juvenile Spotted Lanternflies that hatch are black with white spots. As they grow, nymphs become red and black with white spots. Nymphs then mature into adults in late July-August and have a black head, grayish black spotted forewings, and reddish black spotted hind wings. Egg-laying occurs in October, according to Rutgers New Jersey Experimental Station.

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