Spotted lanternfly control 101
As a pest pro, spotted lanternfly control services can benefit your bottom line. If you live in the northeastern part of the United States you have likely heard of the pest. As a result, you may be getting calls from concerned home and business owners. For instance, this invasive species has already caused twenty-two counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to go into quarantine. It has been spotted in New York to the north and states as far south as Virginia. The pest poses a significant threat to our agriculture including grapes, apples, hops and hardwood industries.
If you are on the fence about offering spotted lanternfly control services, or have an interest but don't know where to start, then this article is for you. As the threat grows, your role as a pest professional will be more important than ever. Let’s take a closer look at getting started in spotted lanternfly control.
4 Tips to get you started in spotted lanternfly control
- Not familiar with tree-banding, no problem! Tree-banding creates an effective insect barrier - and you’ll be happy to know that you do not need to obtain any special licenses to offer tree-banding services for the spotted lanternfly. Not sure how to tree-band? Fortunately, we have you covered with detailed instructions in our Tree-Banding 101 one-pager. The process is very straightforward and simple.
- Market to those diamonds in your own backyard. If you live in a geographical area already impacted by the spotted lanternfly then you have a great base of customers to draw upon. Employ your usual marketing channels to notify customers of the threat and your additional service offering. We recommend both monitoring and control service options. Fortunately, tree-banding will allow you to do both.
- Become a part of the solution. Use digital channels to get the word out in your service area. For example, you can utilize social media posts, e-mail blasts and dedicated portions of your website to educate the public about the importance of monitoring for the spotted lanternfly. Our Social Media Resource Library has lots of educational content free for your use. As a result, you can help educate the public on the spotted lanternfly. For example, you could offer your expertise to your community through local newspapers and radio stations. These organizations are often looking for local experts.
- Consider a free service in exchange for some advertising. Perhaps there is a local park in a downtown area or a sports field that gets lots of traffic in your service area. Consider offering free tree-banding to a select area of your town in exchange for some simple signage warning the public to be on the look out for the spotted lanternfly. Get your brand out by placing yard signs in the area offering your services to monitor or control the pest.
