Lanternflies pose a serious threat to the plant life in the Northeast United States.
Life Cycle
Lanternflies have a complex life cycle that makes it more difficult for tree-huggers (environmentalists) to deal with.
Where are they from and how did they get here?
The spotted lanternfly is considered native to China, India, and Vietnam. SLF was first found in North America in 2014, in Pennsylvania. It is believed to have arrived on shipments of stone from China. Since then, SLF has been detected in 11 eastern states (Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia).
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What is the solution?
Using drones and special egg detection software can help identify locations where lanternfly eggs are prevalent. After these locations have been identified, people could go to these locations and scrape off the eggs. This would decrease the overall population of lanternflies.
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What do Lanternflies do?
The spotted lanternfly causes serious damage including oozing sap, wilting, leaf curling and dieback in trees, vines, crops and many other types of plants. When spotted lanternflies feed, they excrete a sugary substance, called honeydew, that encourages the growth of black sooty mold, which damages plants. Residents report hundreds of these bad bugs that affect their quality of life and ability to enjoy the outdoors during the spring and summer months.
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The Nymph Stages (May-September)
The second main stage for the Spotted Lanternfly is the nymph or instar stage. This is the stage that goes from when the eggs hatch until they become an adult. During this stage, it is best to control the Spotted Lanternfly by use of banding.
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The Adult Stages (July-December)
The final and the most readily recognizable and also the most destructive stage is the adult stage. During this stage, they are best controlled by whatever means possible. Whether it is mechanical means (swatting them) or through the use of sprays.
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The Egg Stage (October-June)The Adult Stages (July-December)
This stage is perhaps one of the most important to control the Spotted Lanternflies. In this stage it is much easier to kill and control the eggs than to kill the 50 odd insects that hatch from it. Eggs should be scrapped with an old credit card and placed in alcohol to kill.