Spotted Lanternfly Eggs

How to Destroy

(and why you should)

Egg masses can be found on any vertical surface and look like a 1½-inch smear of mud or clay

Scrape the egg masses into a Ziploc bag, add enough hand sanitizer to cover them, then seal and dispose of the bag. You can also smash them with a stick (or your hand), as long as you apply enough pressure to burst all of the individual eggs.

The adults have four wings. The front wings are grayish and have dark spots, and the back wings are black-tipped, white in the center, and bright red near the body.

How Did the Spotted Lanternfly Get to the U.S.?

The SLF’s native range includes China, India, and Vietnam. It was first reported outside these countries in South Korea in 1932. The insect arrived in Berks County, Pennsylvania, via an overseas shipment in 2014.

The invasive insect can be found on nearly 100 species of plants, especially trees with smooth bark. They feed on sap in the phloem, the living tissue in vascular plants, which causes the trees stress and eventual decline.

As with any pest control strategy, first try preventive measures, like destroying eggs. If prevention fails, try the least toxic remedies, escalating to insecticides as a last resort.

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