Spotted Lanternfly Found In Fairfax County: Residents Warned

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — The spotted lanternfly has landed in Fairfax County, prompting guidance for residents to deal with the invasive species. County government says any spotted lanternflies should be killed immediately due to the threat they pose to gardens and commercial industries.

According to the county government, an adult spotted lanternfly was confirmed in a shipment at a grocery store in Annandale.

The insect can be destructive to home gardens and commercial gardens, including the peach, apple, grape and wine industries. When feeding on plant sap, they excrete a stock substance called "honeydew" that attracts wasps and ants.

The substance also prompts "sooty mold" growth on plants and trees, which can cover leaf surfaces, stunt plant growth and ruin crops. Spotted lanternflies feed on 70 plant species, such as grapes, hops, apples, stone fruits, and its preferred host, tree-of-heaven, its preferred host.

The spotted lanternfly was first detected in the U.S. in 2014 and has been present for recent several years. The invasive insect is native to China and can be spread long distances by items with egg masses, according to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. It is now present in at least 11 U.S. states: Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

In Virginia, the insect was first found in 2018. A spotted lanternfly quarantine is in effect in the City of Winchester and Frederick, Clarke and Warren counties, and there have been sightings in Loudoun County. The quarantine intends to slow the spread of the invasive insect to other areas of Virginia.

Adult spotted lanternflies can be identified by their gray-brown forewings, crimson wings hidden behind the forewings, black head, black spots, and yellow abdomen with black and white bands on the tip and bottom. Adults are around 1 inch long and a half-inch wide. In the four nymph stages, they can be black and white; or red, black and white.

Ways to get rid of spotted lanternflies will depend on the time of year. Adults begin laying eggs in October and through the first frosts. Egg masses are covered in a light gray colored wax that looks like mud when dry. From October to July, egg masses can be scraped from items or trees into containers of rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. Affected tree trunks should be covered with adhesive bands.

From mid-May to August, insecticide is permitted on the tree-of-heaven, the primary food for spotted lanternflies. During the rest of the year, effective methods may include stump treatments, hack and squirt treatments, foliar sprays, basal bark sprays, and tree-of-heaven treatments.

Residents can check items stored outdoors that may contain egg masses, such as wood, plant and landscape materials, trees, rocks, vehicles and more. Trees and plants can be inspected at dusk and night, when insects may gather in groups on tree trunks or plant stems.

Spotted lanternfly sightings can be reported to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Inquiries from Fairfax County residents may be directed to the Urban Forest Management Division Forest Pest Management Branch at 703-324-1770 or at pestmail@fairfaxcounty.gov.