What is the status of the spotted lanternfly in Lebanon County?

Nora Shelly
Lebanon Daily News

The spotted lanternfly made its presence known in Lebanon County this year, gnawing on trees from Bethel Township to Cornwall and beyond. 

The pest had a higher impact this year than in previous years, Casey Clauser, the head gardener with Penn State Extension Lebanon County, said recently. Lebanon County is in the spotted lanternfly quarantine zone. 

Clauser said they got the most reports from the eastern side of the county, primarily in Myerstown and Bethel Township. 

"In the eastern part of the county, it was definitely high," Clauser said. "You look at a tree and it may have hundreds on it."

They received some reports of the pests in the city, but Clauser said those bugs were likely transported from vehicles coming in from other areas in the county. They also got reports of the lanternfly being spotted in other parts of the county, Clauser said, including in Annville, Cleona, Jonestown and Cornwall. 

The western part of the county didn't seem to have the same density of lanternflies, Clauser said. 

Spotted lanternflies like to attack fruit trees, according to information from Penn State Extension, and will feed on the sap in pretty much every part of the tree but the fruit itself. The pest secretes a sugary substance that can cause the growth of black sooty mold, which can damage trees. 

They also like to attack tree-of-heaven, which is an invasive tree that is native to China and Taiwan, and other hardwood and ornamental trees. 

On a mission to kill

A spotted lanternfly.

Cornwall resident Judi Lentz was not willing to sit idly by as thousands of lanternflies attacked her 26 sugar maple trees.

She said her husband was mowing the grass in early October when he noticed the pests infesting their sugar maples. Using a broom and a fly swatter, Lentz said, it took them multiple trips over several days to rid thousands of lanternflies from their trees. 

The bugs didn't feed on any other trees in their yard, including a red maple tree. Besides a large branch on one tree that may need to be cut off, Lentz said, they think the sugar maples are still fairly healthy. 

Lentz won an informal competition organized by Commissioner Jo Ellen Litz for killing the most lanternflies, and said some people asked her why she was bothering to put in so much effort to kill the bugs.

"I may not be making a big difference in the world, but to this tree, I'm making a difference," Lentz said. "So that was my thinking on it."

More:Pa. agriculture department adds Lebanon County to spotted lanternfly quarantine zone

What you can do

A frost earlier in November killed off all the adults, Clauser said, but most would have already laid their eggs by the time they died. 

The egg masses could be on trees, cars or other outdoor surfaces, and hold 30 to 50 eggs apiece. The lanternflies cover the egg masses with a sticky, mud-like substance that dries and starts to crack over winter, Clauser said. 

He encouraged people to check trees on their property and remove any masses. People who may be moving outdoor furniture or firewood over the winter months should first check them for egg masses, Clauser said, particularly those who may be going to hunting cabins or camping trips to other parts of the state.  

Penn State Extension has more information on how to help stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly on its website at extension.psu.edu