The Truths and Myths about Spotted Lanternfly
Since its discovery in the US eleven years ago, the spotted lanternfly (or SLF) has attracted a great deal of public attention - and caused alarm among many home and property owners. Along with warnings issued by state university extensions and government agencies, this colorful, but destructive insect has been headlined in major newspapers, featured in national news media, and even spoofed on late night comedy shows.
First detected in 2014 in Pennsylvania, SLF has since spread to 18 states, and it is predicted that the insect will continue its invasion into other states throughout the country. However, over time more and more information indicates that while the spotted lanternfly is still a significant cause of concern, especially for many agricultural food crops, it generally does not pose a dire threat to most landscape trees. Let’s look at some of the recent facts that have come to light about spotted lanternfly – and dispel some of the myths – so that you can make informed decisions about SLF treatment options for your trees and property management.
Let’s first look at some of the facts about spotted lanternfly.
Spotted lanternfly is a sap sucking insect that attacks a wide range of plants and trees. It feeds on over 70 species of crops and plants in the US, including many landscape trees.
Common signs of SLF feeding include leaf wilting, leaf curling, and branch dieback, but generally the insect is not life threatening to most landscape trees.
Spotted lanternfly does pose a significant threat to many agricultural crops, especially stone fruit trees and grapes.
As it feeds, SLF excretes large amounts of honeydew, a sticky sugary substance that turns into unsightly black sooty mold which can cover trees, other plants and nearby household items. The honeydew also attracts other unwanted insects such as ants and yellowjackets.
Let’s also dispel some of the myths…
In most cases SLF is unlikely to kill trees, but large populations can stress trees and stunt their growth and vigor.
Large populations of SLF can be a nuisance, but the insect does not sting or bite and is harmless to people and pets.
While spotted lanternflies are steadily expanding their range across the country, this non-native insect is not immune to local ecological controls. In areas initially hit with high infestations, established populations appear to be declining as they are increasingly succumbing to adapting natural predators such as birds, predatory insects, and even insect consuming fungi.
To get more information about spotted lanternfly check out articles like this one here or contact your local county extension office. In summary, spotted lanternfly is something you should be concerned about – but don’t panic!
Treatment options: What steps should you take to control spotted lanternfly?
Identify the pest.
Identifying spotted lanternfly is the first step you should take before determining a treatment program, especially if you are unfamiliar with it. SLF adults are known for their bright colors, but in their life cycle, they go through a series of stages that look quite different as the insect develops. All stages of the insect will feed on plants and trees, and host preferences can change throughout the insect’s life cycle.
Starting small, the immature insects, called nymphs, generally emerge in late spring, are wingless and dark black with white spots. They will grow through multiple stages (known as instars) during the summer, getting bigger and bigger, until they change to a bright red color just before they mature into adults. As fall approaches, these last instars change into adults with two spotted dove gray outer wings and two bright red and black inner wings that are visible when the insect flies. The abdomen of the adult insect is bright yellow and banded, looking like a lantern, which gives the spotted lanternfly its name.
Nuisance or threat: Determining your control thresholds.
Once you have identified spotted lanternfly, the next step is to determine your thresholds, or how much of the pest you can tolerate. While local authorities do still recommend taking measures to curb the spread of this invasive pest, a general consensus is growing that established populations are likely here to stay. However, additional observations also indicate that in time SLF numbers are likely to decline as local predators continually adapt to the insect.
Because of this, our recommended control measures and goals are now shifting from eradicating spotted lanternfly to suppressing it. Large scale elimination of this pest may not be practical, and eradication attempts may cause more ecological harm than learning to live with the insect in manageable numbers. So instead of making widespread insecticidal applications on properties, our treatment recommendations now target infestations on high value trees or trees that are under stress or threatened with other health conditions.
Keeping trees healthy is one of the best ways to protect your trees from the damage of spotted lanternfly.
One of the best ways you can protect your trees from SLF is to invest in their overall health. Healthy trees are less likely to attract pests and more likely to recover from the damage of pest attacks. Most health issues in trees are caused by poor soil conditions, so signing up your trees and shrubs with Monster’s Soil Health Program may be one of the best ways to ward off spotted lanternfly attacks. Our Soil Health Program package will rebuild your tree’s soil so that it will hold more water and make more needed nutrients available to your tree. This will give the tree more strength and energy to fight off SLF infestation and resist other secondary disease infections.
Our Organic Foliar Monthly Maintenance Program is also a great way to protect your trees and shrubs. Regular monthly treatments using our organic OMRI approved products can deter pests with minimal environmental impact and give your trees and shrubs a heads-up advantage to ward off attacks of spotted lanternfly and other leaf feeding insect pests.
Put your trust in Monster’s expert professional arborists.
If you have questions about spotted lanternfly or any other issues in tree care, talk to the tree care professionals you can trust at Monster Tree Service. Our expert arborists and highly trained plant health care technicians know the trees in your area and have the most up-to-date information on spotted lanternfly and other pests.