Maryland is in Quarantine for the Spotted Lantern Fly!
Get your boots ready to stomp and your eyes peeled for eggs… that’s right, Maryland is in quarantine for the Spotted Lantern Fly. We are in prime egg-laying season with this invasive insect. But first, to beat your enemy, you need to know your enemy!
The Lanternfly is alluring with its colors and spots, but we need to keep this species in check.
Originally from China, the spotted lanternfly made its way to the States in 2014. It was spotted in Pennsylvania and has since spread to several other states, including Maryland, in 2018. They are voracious leafhoppers and detrimental to Maryland agriculture and our trees.
The fly sucks nutrients out of grapes, apples, hops, walnuts, and many more. Depleted reserves of stored starches make it harder for plants and trees to survive. The secretions from the lanternfly, known as “honeydew,” attract other insects that can lead to further damage to the plant. Additionally, the honeydew can lead to black sooty mold that prevents the plant from photosynthesizing. If you enjoy wine, beer, or fruit, you’ll want to keep these pests from spreading!
During this time of year, each female lanternfly lays around 30–50 eggs in each egg mass and at least 2 egg masses a year. That’s 100 lanternflies by spring! They have predators in their home country to keep the population at bay, but they do not have any predators here.
Look for white or brown patches on trees that are about an inch in length and scrape them off the tree. Eggs can be crushed or scraped into rubbing alcohol or soapy water to prevent them from hatching the following year.
Stomp, crush, and scrape lanternflies to help keep our agriculture and nature thriving and give scientists the time they need to study them!
