The dreaded spotted lanternfly will soon return to menace anyone outdoors across most of the state, but there is still time to prepare for the rapidly spreading pests.
According to Ellen Roane, arborist with Harrisburg’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Facilities, the region will see young lanternflies start to be active in late April and early May - which gives us about a month to prepare traps.
“The insects have a tendency to drop out of the tree and then crawl back up the trunk,” Roane said as she put in place a heavy-duty flypaper roll around one tree at Italian Lake in Harrisburg. “As they crawl back up the trunk, they get stuck on this.”
The insects have spread across the central Pennsylvania region in recent years. While they are no threat to humans, Roane said that they can be a threat to certain plants they feed on, particularly grape vines and apple trees. This is in addition to the sticky honeydew residue they leave after feeding, which itself can attract sooty mold.
Article by Penn Live continues here: Time To Prepare For Spotted Lanternfly Season