“While spotted lanternfly feeding can stress plants and cause localized branch damage, it is not known to directly kill other plants.” However, since feeding is considered a plant stressor, Raimondi says this may contribute to the long-term weakening of established plants and trees. He explains that heavy spotted lanternfly feeding has contributed to the death of grapevines, the invasive tree Ailanthus altissima (tree-of-heaven, or TOH), and black walnut saplings. “Spotted lanternflies feed voraciously on many economically important crops like grapevines, hops, ornamental nursery plants, and several tree species,” says Raimondi. ![]() ![]() If left untreated, lanternflies are known to cause damage to plants and homegrown crops. This helps officials keep track of them, and determine where they have expanded to. In addition, whenever you see spotted lanternflies, Caballero recommends reporting them to your state’s Department of Agriculture or local extension office. If you have a large infestation of spotted lanternflies however, you might want to contact a professional pest control service to handle the problem. Do your part to slow the spread by complying with the SLF quarantine relations.Spotted lanternflies on branch (Image credit: Shutterstock) ![]() In addition to Pennsylvania, SLF is also found in New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Connecticut, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and West Virginia. Counties within the quarantine zone include: Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Indiana, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mifflin, Mercer, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Union, York, Washington, Wayne, and Westmoreland. The quarantine affects vehicles and other conveyances, plant, wood, stone products and outdoor household items. The quarantine is in place to stop the movement of SLF to new areas within or out of the current quarantine zone and to slow its spread within the quarantine. SLF is currently found in 51 counties in Pennsylvania, all of which are under a state-imposed quarantine. The honeydew also builds up and promotes the growth for sooty mold (fungi), which can cover the plant, forest understories, patio furniture, cars, and anything else found below SLF feeding. The feeding damage significantly stresses the plants which can lead to decreased health and potentially death.Īs SLF feeds, the insect excretes honeydew (a sugary substance) which can attract bees, wasps, and other insects. It has a strong preference for economically important plants including grapevines, maple trees, black walnut, birch, willow, and other trees. The spotted lanternfly uses its piercing-sucking mouthpart to feed on sap from over 70 different plant species. If not contained, spotted lanternfly potentially could drain Pennsylvania’s economy of at least $324 million annually, according to a study carried out by economists at Penn State. SLF is a serious invasive pest with a healthy appetite for our plants and it can be a significant nuisance, affecting the quality of life and enjoyment of the outdoors.
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