Spotted Lanternflies Infestation-A Spreading Pest Problem in Rockland and Beyond

by M.C. Millman

We've been warned - since as early as three years ago, when the first major infestation in New York State was detected in Staten Island in August 2020, and again in May 2021, when a population of spotted lanternflies was first found in Rockland County.

These pests feed on more than 70 plants critical to the state's agriculture, including grapevines, hops, maple trees, walnuts, fruit trees, and others, as reported by Rockland Daily here.

As adults have begun to emerge from the developmental "nymph" stages, New Yorkers are also beginning to emerge for the naivete that by simply putting out an order to "squash upon sight and report to Cornell," the bugs would be obliterated. Today, bug-sniffing dogs and high-powered vacuums have been added to the seek-to-destroy mission.

One reason for the ready spread of the pests is their ease in getting around as they tend to hitchhike via the undercarriages of vehicles before disembarking in new areas or even laying their eggs on the cars, thereby continuing the spread.

Natural predators include praying mantis, spiders, wheel bugs, and birds, along with natural fungi, all of which have been able to reduce the insect's spread and the damage done from what it might have been otherwise.

Officials now recommend that those who spot the bugs should use vacuums or power washers to remove them. The eggs, resembling smears of mud or lumps of putty, can be scraped off and put into sealed bags. While these methods have been in play since 2020, the more effort applied to an issue, the less the pest will be able to bug us. 

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Spotted lanternfly egg masses. Uncovered (top) and covered (bottom)

Photo Credit: Cornell Corporative Extension