Spotted Lanternflies are wreaking havoc as one of the top invasive species in Pennsylvania.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the spotted lanternfly is a planthopper that’s native to east Asia. It was first discovered in PA in Berks County in 2014. Since then, it’s caused significant damage on the local environment as well as the economy.
“They are quite invasive and quite dangerous to our fruit production," said Capri Stiles-Mikesell, the biosecurity educator at Penn State Extension. "They’re not dangerous to humans, they don’t sting or bite, but we do need to try and get control of them.”
Most of the commonwealth is now under a spotted lanternfly quarantine – aside from a few northern counties. Jefferson and Elk counties are not yet included in the quarantine zone, but sightings are increasing in nearby counties.
Experts warn if you find a spotted lanternfly outside of the quarantine zone, you should collect and report it immediately after killing it.
“We refer to the spotted lanternfly as a hitchhiker," said Stiles-Mikesell. "So, it likes to land on your vehicle and moves about that way. That’s how humans are the ones who are moving it across the state.”
The protocol for managing spotted lanternfly populations is supervised by the PA Department of Agriculture with institutions such as the Penn State Extension providing guidelines and education to local municipalities on how to deal with the problem.
“It depends on the municipality and the extent of their resources and manpower," said Stiles-Mikesell. "There are some municipalities that are trained on how to address that and other municipalities may want to reach out to Penn State Extension Mainly we teach everybody how to report, identify, and manage.”
The PA department of Agriculture is responsible for more large-scale treatment. Such as, chemical control. But, there are some things you can do at home or in your business to help the issue.
“There are multiple ways of doing that," said Stiles-Mikesell. "Swatting them with a fly swatter, stomping them with your feet, basically just killing them in any way that you can.”
Spotted lanternflies leave behind sooty mold, a sticky excrement with a rotten smell. So far, there are no natural predators or plants that could repel the flies. Stiles-Mikesell emphasizes the scale of the effort it will take to manage the spotted lanternfly;
It’s really going to take an entire community to try to get this invasive species back under control.If you see a spotted lanternfly, squash it and report it to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture or contact the Penn State Extension.
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