As soon as you see a lanternfly, get rid of it right away! This invasive insect comes from China and has been wreaking trouble in the US since 2014. It has done a lot of damage to crops and the environment. Lanternflies eat on plant sap, which weakens the plants and leaves behind a sticky honeydew that sooty mould grows on, which hurts the plant even more by stopping photosynthesis.
It’s easy to tell lanternflies apart. Nymphs are black with white spots that turn red before they become adults. Adults have grey wings with black spots and red underwings. They take sap from plants by sucking on a needle-like part of their mouth. Squash it if you see one! It is also important to get rid of egg clumps that look like grey mud smears. To kill the eggs, scrape them into a bag with alcohol or hand sanitiser.
To protect our plants and the earth, we need to do something about lanternflies. Remember that these bugs can do a lot of damage, so act quickly to keep our communities safe. Don’t let lanternflies take over; get rid of them right away!
