09/14/2026
If you live in an affected state, this is the highest-leverage 5 minutes you'll spend all fall.
THE INVADER: Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), native to Asia, first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014. It has spread across much of the eastern US. It feeds on sap from over 100 plant species, with serious economic damage to grapes, hops, and fruit trees, plus stress on maples, black walnut, birch, and willow. It excretes honeydew, which grows sooty mold on everything below.
RIGHT NOW: Adults are mating and laying eggs. This continues into November. Each female lays one or more masses of roughly 30-50 eggs.
WHAT EGG MASSES LOOK LIKE: A 1-1.5 inch gray-brown smear that looks like dried mud or a splash of putty. Fresh masses have a smooth waxy coating; older masses crack and look like rows of seeds.
WHERE TO LOOK: Tree trunks (especially tree of heaven, maple, walnut), the undersides of branches, stones and boulders, outdoor furniture, grills, firewood piles, vehicle wheel wells and bumpers, trailers, and any flat outdoor surface.
HOW TO DESTROY: Scrape with a plastic card or putty knife into a bag or container of hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol, or soapy water. Smashing works too but is less reliable — you must fully crush every egg.
DO NOT MOVE FIREWOOD. This is the number one long-distance spread vector for lanternflies and many other invasive pests. Buy firewood where you burn it.
REPORT: Check your state department of agriculture's website for reporting instructions if you're in a newly affected area.
Five minutes with a plastic card. Fifty fewer insects. Do it now.
