Spotted Lanternfly

The dreaded Spotted Lanternfly is rearing its ugly head again.  Since arriving in Pennsylvania from Asia in 2014, this insect has spread to various states, including New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, and become a major nuisance.  Although the Tree of Heaven is the preferred source of food, it will also feed on fruit, ornamental and woody trees, vegetables, herbs, grains and vines.  Feeding on the sap of various plant species, it excretes honeydew which attracts insects, as well as creates the growth of sooty mold.  This results in the ill health and often times death of the plants and trees it infects.  The only way to prevent further damage is to destroy the insect.