Ohioans, have you been seeing red, black and white bugs with spots recently? They might be spotted lanternflies.
Now that it's summer, lanternflies are fluttering around and can wreak havoc on your garden and the rest of Ohio's environment. Here's what they look like, and what to do if you see one.
When do spotted lanternflies emerge? What do they look like?
Their eggs hatch in the spring and early summer, starting as early as April. Early nymphs are black with white spots; older nymphs are red with black and white spots.
When do spotted lanternflies come out? When do they mate?
Fully grown adult spotted lanternflies first appear in the summer, according to Agriculture Victoria.
You may spot them gathering on tree trunks in large numbers at dawn and dusk in late summer to early autumn to mate and create egg masses.
Methods to control the spotted lanternfly in Ohio
Squish them!
If you see spotted lanternflies or their eggs and egg masses, the Ohio Department of Agriculture has several recommendations on how to kill them:
Nymphs and adult lanternflies:
If there are only a few, they can be swatted or crushed.
If the infestation calls for an insecticide, lower toxicity ones such as horticultural oils and insecticidal soaps can provide control with little residual effects. You can use contact insecticides such as bifenthrin, carbaryl and malathion as spot treatments. Or, systemic insecticide treatments with dinotefuran or imidacloprid can be used as trunk sprays, trunk injections or soil drenches depending on the label.
Also, removing spotted lanternfly host plants — some of which are invasive themselves, like the tree of heaven — can help reduce populations.
Spotted lanternfly egg masses:
These can be destroyed before they hatch by scraping them with a knife or the edge of a credit card into soapy water or rubbing alcohol to kill the eggs. The masses can also be treated with horticultural oils during the winter or before plants start sprouting in spring.
Some insecticides may need to be applied by certified personnel, per the agriculture department, or require specialized equipment. Also, pesticides will kill beneficial insects, such as pollinators. Do not apply when trees or shrubs are in bloom or if nearby flowering plants may absorb the insecticide.
How to report spotted lanternflies in Ohio
If you suspect a spotted lanternfly outside a quarantined county, take a photograph and report the finding to the ODA Plant Pest Control using the Ohio Plant Pest Reporter. Lanternflies found in or around known infestations do not need to be reported.
How do spotted lanternflies harm Ohio's environment?
The lanternfly feeds on a variety of plants, causing them to wilt and die back, which makes them susceptible to damage from other factors, such as mold. Their favorite is the tree of heaven, which is also an invasive species. Lanternflies also enjoy grapes and hops, according to ODNR.
The invasive species also produces a sticky, sugary substance known as "honeydew" that attracts ants, flies and wasps. The honeydew is also colonized by a fungus called sooty mold, which can ruin grape and hop crops.
How did spotted lanternflies come to the U.S.? Ohio one of 18 states with invasive species
Spotted lanternflies were discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014.
When they were first identified in Ohio, over a dozen counties entered quarantine in an effort to increase inspections and restrict the movement of this invasive species. Several counties in northern and eastern Ohio were quarantined in 2024 after spotted lanternflies were spotted. A few more Ohio counties were recently quarantined this year, too.
Spotted lanternflies are native to southern China, Vietnam, and Taiwan. The stowaways made it across the U.S. by hitching a ride along with imported goods, per USA Today.
Lanternflies have been spotted in 18 states so far, including the District of Columbia, according to USA Today.
Chad Murphy and Julia Gomez contributed to reporting.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Spotted lanternflies in Ohio: When they emerge, what they look like
Comments