How to Control and Kill Spotted Lanternflies

Spotted lanternflies are highly destructive, invasive insects first discovered in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014. By December 2024, these Southeast Asia natives had spread into 18 states — with no indication they'll stop their steady advance. By learning what to do when you find a spotted lanternfly and how to kill these invasive pests, you can protect your property and help stop spotted lanternfly's spread.

  • Why Spotted Lanternflies Are Bad

  • What to Do When You Find a Spotted Lanternfly

  • How to Protect Your Property Against Spotted Lanternfly

Spotted lanternflies arrive in swarms to feed on trees and plants.

Spotted lanternflies arrive in swarms to feed on trees and plants.

Why Spotted Lanternflies Are Bad

Spotted lanternflies are bad news at every stage of life. They grow more destructive as they mature, threatening ornamental plants and devastating important agricultural crops. When spotted lanternflies attack plants, their piercing mouthparts penetrate plant tissue and suck out the juices that plants need to survive.

Each life stage of spotted lanternfly, from nymphs to adults, targets different types of plants. The early nymph stages of this pest damage tender, non-woody plants, like annuals, perennials and soft, young seedlings. But older nymphs and adult spotted lanternflies are another story. Able to pierce right through woody bark, they turn their attention to trees.

Thousands of these pests can converge in your yard in swarms, feeding on a single tree or more. Damaged, weakened trees are left with oozing sap, which attracts more insect pests and disease. Trees, ornamental plants and agricultural crops damaged by spotted lanternfly struggle to produce fruit or healthy growth. In many cases, the damaged trees and plants die. But there's more.

In addition to killing trees and plants, spotted lanternflies disrupt the lives of everyone around them. After the masses feed, they cover surrounding surfaces — from trees, sidewalks and cars to picnic tables and lounge chairs — in their sticky excrement. Other pests, such as yellow jackets, wasps and ants, soon arrive on the scene to feed off the honeydew, which eventually turns to black, sooty mold.

Spotted lanternfly nymphs change from black to red as they mature.

Spotted lanternfly nymphs change from black to red as they mature.

What to Do When You Find a Spotted Lanternfly

Once you know what to look for, spotted lanternflies are hard to miss — especially when they're massed in swarms and feeding on your favorite trees. But with this invasive pest, each spotted lanternfly life stage has a distinctive look.

Spotted lanternfly eggs are laid in large masses of vertical columns in late summer and fall. Any handy surface will do, including cars and BBQ grills. Fresh egg masses look like putty; dried masses look like mud. If you find one, scrape it off the tree trunk or whatever surface it's on and destroy it.

When spotted lanternfly eggs hatch in spring, black-stage nymphs comprise the first stage. About 1/4-inch long, these wingless nymphs have black bodies and legs spotted with white.

The final juvenile stage is the red-stage nymph. About 3/4-inch long, red-stage nymphs look like larger versions of the black-stage nymphs but with bright red patches on their white-spotted bodies. At this stage, their mouthparts can pierce bark.

Spotted lanternflies reach adulthood in midsummer and look a lot like moths at first glance. Adults measure about 1 inch long and 1/2 inch wide. Their pinkish, gray-tan forewings are spotted in black with an uncommon brick-like pattern on the wings' tips. When adult spotted lanternflies spread their wings, you'll see black-and-white hindwings with bright red patches dotted with black.

If you find a spotted lanternfly — eggs, nymphs or adults — in an area where they're not yet established, officials ask you to do three things:

  1. Take a picture so experts can confirm it's a spotted lanternfly.

  2. Squash the pest and kill it so it can't do damage or reproduce.

  3. Report the sighting to your state Department of Agriculture.  

Once you have that handled, it's time to look closer to home and protect your property from more spotted lanternfly intruders.

Spotted lanternflies lay their egg masses in columns.

Spotted lanternflies lay their egg masses in columns.

How to Protect Your Property Against Spotted Lanternfly

Being proactive in protecting your property is the best line of defense against spotted lanternflies. Because these harmful pests are still relatively new to the United States, you can't rely on native birds and native insect predators to keep them in check. While there are reports that wild birds are stepping up to do their part, killing and controlling spotted lanternfly on your property still largely falls on you.

The invasive Tree of Heaven (botanical name Ailanthus altissima) is spotted lanternflies' favorite plant host. If you grow a Tree of Heaven, reconsider your plant choice before this invasive tree draws spotted lanternflies to your home.

Inspect your property regularly for any signs of egg masses or hatched pests. Spotted lanternflies are better hoppers than fliers, but they excel at hitching rides into new areas on vehicles or wood via egg masses or stowaway nymphs and adults in plants.

If spotted lanternflies are known to be in your area — or you want to protect your plants and property against their arrival — Amdro brand can help you reclaim your yard and help control spotted lanternfly. When treating existing or future spotted lanternflies, focus on tree trunks and other areas where these pests gather.

Amdro Quick Kill Insect Killer for Lawn & Landscape Concentrate and Amdro Quick Kill Insect Killer for Lawn & Landscape Ready To Spray kill and control spotted lanternflies in their juvenile nymph stages and as adults. These highly effective products work in minutes to kill spotted lanternflies by contact. Then residual protection keeps on working to kill and control newly spotted lanternflies for up to three months.

With Amdro Quick Kill Insect Killer for Lawn & Landscape Concentrate and Amdro Quick Kill Insect Killer for Lawn & Landscape Ready To Spray, you can even treat your home's foundation up to a maximum height of 3 feet. You can also spot-treat and do crack-and-crevice applications to sidewalks, driveways, patios and structures, including windows, doors and eaves.

With spotted lanternfly on the move across the United States, experts expect these pests will continue to spread. With Amdro brand on your side, you can fight spotted lanternfly, protect your property, and help stomp out these destructive invasive insects before they get established where you live.

 

Always read product labels thoroughly and follow the instructions carefully.

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