SERVING DURING a CRISIS
Treating Spotted Lanternfly
A flyswatter is good to kill Spotted Lanternflies, but sometimes you have a large infestation, and need more advanced options.
In 2019 I gave DQ gift certificates to the adult and student killing the most Spotted Lanternflies. In 2020, we need more help to keep these nasty bugs at bay. Because you are all winners, and to deputize all of the phenomenal volunteers here in Lebanon County, while supplies last, I have a fly swatter for you. Just stop me, and ask for yours. I’ll have some in my car, or make arrangements if you want to pick it up. One per active Deputy, please.
While commercial applications are available, following are some things you can try around your home:
The Tree of Heaven is also an invasive from China. It’s the only tree on which the Spotted Lanternfly can live its entire life cycle. Treat a standing tree to make it a “bait” tree to attract the Lanternflies. As the Lanternflies eat the leaves, both the tree and Lanternflies die. An added bonus is that the roots of the tree also die. This is important as cutting them down will force the roots to shoot out in multiple directions, bearing 10 trees where there was only one tree. Not good 5:50 https://www.facebook.com/joellenlitz/videos/vb.1094403643/10219265286958340/?type=3
Also, there is special sticky tape at hardware stores for other trees. Wrap the tape around the trunk of the tree. Wrap a layer of chicken wire over the tape to keep birds from getting stuck in the tape.
Bottle Method: On other trees, hover over the Lanternflies with a pop bottle. They normally jump straight up, and should jump into the bottle in which you can add hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol to kill them. Put the cap back onto the bottle, and throw into the garbage. (At minute 5, there’s a demonstration on capturing lanternflies in a bottle.) https://www.facebook.com/joellenlitz/videos/vb.1094403643/10222316299831755/?type=3
Dishes of diluted Dawn dish soap sitting at the base of a tree can also attract, coat the wings, and drown Spotted Lanternfly.
After laying eggs, adults die at the end of each season. To stop the spread of the Lanternflies, do not scrape eggs onto the ground, or they will still hatch the next season. Instead, when you see their eggs sacks, which initially look like grey putty on a tree trunk or other flat surface, and then turn brown, scrape their egg sacks into a plastic bag. Add hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol. Seal bag. Massage eggs with liquid. Dispose of bag into the trash. 10:30 https://www.facebook.com/joellenlitz/videos/vb.1094403643/10219737310198626/?type=3
PS, females are identifiable by the yellow egg sacs on either
side of her abdomen.
Many times, I post videos to YouTube, but these reference videos were taken with my phone, which posts to Facebook.
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