Spotted Lantern Fly (SLF) is a fast moving invasive pest that is stressing our trees and quickly becoming a nuisance in our community.
SLF is native to China and was first discovered in Pennsylvania in September 2014. Feeding on a wide range of fruit, ornamental and woody trees, the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) states that invasive pests will have an impact on the environment similar to, if not greater than global warming.
The egg masses look like smeared mud. SLF will lay it's eggs on virtually any surface with egg masses getting transported unknowingly on lawn furniture, outside toys, vehicles and almost any other object that can be found outside.
SLF comes into an area like a plague. There can be thousands of SLF on a single tree and hundreds of thousands of spotted lantern flies on a property and around your home.
SLF excretes sticky droplets of sugar-rich urine that rains down from infested trees, producing a foul smell and coating everything below. SLF excretion draws in other insects, such as wasps and ants, that come to feed.
To protect your trees from SLF, trunk injections or bark sprays must be performed by a certified and licensed professional.