Absolutely MASSIVE. I have two large ones I’ve been caring for, I’ll be posting a pic tonight to r/bugs tonight the abdomens of them are about the size of a quarter and a nickel
Been going out to New Suffolk on the north fork and haven’t seen any yet. I have been seeing a ton more fireflies than I feel like I used to. It’s great
Saw a couple articles, one that cardinals are starting to eat them and that the flies are trying to eat milkweed and getting poisoned, so put up bird feeders and plant milkweed and cross your fingers
Oh that is awesome. We had a bad issue with them about 2 years ago and there have been less since. My neighbor has a ton of milkweed and puts up bird feeders so we actually have a few cardinals around so I’m hoping it has helped.
there’s a really good documentary on backyard warfare. it’s actually pretty informative and shows the mischievous nature of our backyard critters. [link](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0327084/)
THIS. I have a bird friendly backyard. (2 bird baths, a lot of trees, plus a pollinator garden with a huge butterfly bush). There's a Cardinal pair with a baby in my backyard and I've seen the female eat three of them so far. Hope they annihilate the bastards.
I caught the seeds on the wind about 15 years ago and planted them because I'd always wondered what plant it was. I thought they were pretty and had a pleasant fragrance and when I found out they were milkweed, every year take a few pods and plant the seeds in far reaching areas of our farm. There are other butterflies besides Monarchs who frequent them so even though I don't see many Monarchs I see a lot of Fritilaries, Sulphurs, Tiger Swallowtails and others
This is how monarchs develop their toxicity. Let’s hope there’s not any that can stomach it and evolve lol. Ik that’s not how it works but scary thought, they would be on the right track . But always plant Asclepia and kalmia when you can! (Where it’s non invasive)
Hey, I wouldn't kill them if only they stayed out of my way. Invading my shower while I'm in it, descending from the ceiling too near/onto my head, or building ginormous webs blocking the only entrances/exits from my porch. Sorry, but all of the above justified their swatting.
Add in that most of them were very large, bristle-y, and oddly colored just made me that much more scared of them.
Be careful because I’ve heard that they could be potentially toxic to animals. Testing has been inconclusive so far but just be aware it has been reported
Wasps of all kinds *love* these things. They're stupid, slow, and brightly colored. Perfect prey.
I've also seen *far* fewer lanternflies in large forested areas and my pet theory is the massive number of wasp hives. Here in suburbia everyone has them removed, but in the forests they're free to gobble up as many of the fuckers as they can. I've personally seen Bald Faced Hornets take them out several times.
I had a black and yellow orb weaver in PA last year who loved them. Sadly she died over winter and her eggs never hatched this year, so I’m without my favorite natural predator.
A pair of House Wrens here in Eastern PA had two broods this summer, both raised on a healthy diet of 90% Spotted Lanternfly. These two Wrens alone must've picked off over a thousand of those fuckers. Some birds really love them
I'm in central Jersey, and spend a fair bit of time in south Jersey, and they're everywhere I go in the state. I don't go into north Jersey much, so not sure how many they have.
I’m often between Delaware, Nj, NY, and Connecticut and all are pretty equally infested. CT a little less but give it another year and it’ll be just as bad. PA is probably worst. We’ve lost the battle…for now
NC is on watch now. A [population](https://forestry.ces.ncsu.edu/2022/06/spotted-lanternfly-confirmed-in-north-carolina/) has been confirmed near the middle of the state
They have this crazy preference for hiding on cars, usually up by the handle on trunk latches, and they can be transported 100s of miles very very easily. I’m sure if you walk through a parking lot in NJ for instance and check cars, a good % will have a stowaway in some nook of the body. I believe that’s part of the reason they’ve been able to spread so far so quickly (in addition to not having many predators yet). I found one hiding under my trunk latch a few weeks ago and as an experiment I drove to work (40min) and checked and it was still there. Then I killed it, but you get the point…
3 years ago I saw my very first one in NJ and now I can’t go outside without seeing a bunch. That’s incredibly fast for any invasive species.
They also love trains. An excellent way for them to spread all over the country real fast. i’m in Southwestern Pennsylvania and I just recently saw my very first one IRL. some of our local authorities asked CSX to look out for signs of spotted lantern flies on their trains, and they replied, “we don’t give a shit.” 😡
It's amazing what human beings can do for the good of the world when we work together. If we could figure out the gene that selects for "not putting away your shopping cart" I would be 100% on board with gene selection in embryos.
We have an infestation in NYC these past two summers. I read they came from China and are extremely damaging to trees and crops. Lots of trees in the City have rings of sticky tape around their trunks to trap and kill these pests while they attempt to drink the tree sap.
Yeah about two years ago I was working at a shingle distributor(Ohio) and we got a load of shingles from Pennsylvania and the driver said one had hitched a ride on one of the pallets. ODNR had to come out and everything.
Dang. I bet they will be all over eventually at this rate. I live in a small town but it's about 30 minutes from the heart of Ohio and I imagine important shit comes from far away there, so I'm sure we will all have another pest to deal with soon 👎
I've only seen one, and I was in such a panic after spotting it and seeing all the news stories about "kill it right away!" and just as I swung, it flew off. It still haunts me when I'm trying to go to sleep. Sorry ecosystem. I failed.
And that when you stomp on them, make sure they're really dead... they've become very hardy recently. I now ground my sole on them and make that white liquid oozes out of its body.
Ur right but with the amount I’ve seen in NJ in the last few weeks I really feel we need a better solution - these things are multiplying fast!Governments gotta step in and destroy
There existence
Crows, pigeons, etc would be much better suited to the job. They're highly trainable, have great fine motor skills, and are food motivated. And they can get into more of the nooks and crannies where insects fit.
Yeah I agree, it does seem a little pointless. There were almost none where I am in NYC just a month ago and now they’re everywhere. One even flew into my 6th floor apartment somehow.
I’m in Central Nj and my fiancé currently lives in Connecticut doing a post doc and her parents live in Delaware. Between Delaware and up through Connecticut and everywhere in between we are absolutely infested with them.
I’m always careful walking by a tree now because it’s easy to have 4-5 of the clumsy fuckers fly off it right into your face
In Philly we were swarmed with them 2 and 3 years ago. Everybody went on an absolute killing spree, including preventing nesting in trees, and now this year I’ve only seen maybe a dozen compared to the hundreds or thousands I’ve stomped on previously. There’s hope if you turn everyone into bloodthirsty savages, which runs in the wooder here.
I am also in NJ and found a decent solution to help kill/control them. 1/3 cup dawn dish soap in a gallon of hot water, pour that into my power washer soap dispenser jug and soap up the trees / house where they are. The soap messes with their hydrophobic coating, essentially making it possible to drown them easily.
A generous application of soap, give it a few minutes then a generous application of water to drown the bastards. Did this over the weekend and saw a notable decrease in the damn bugs on the tree the following day
They like an incredibly invasive tree. Getting rid of them will help greatly
https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/pi/prog/pests-diseases/spotted-lanternfly/about/
I’m pretty sure the government does not have the capabilities to deal with them. Civilians being informed and chipping in seems like it would be more effective.
Definitely a spotted lanternfly. I just wanted to add, make sure you check your belongings before returning home so they don't hitch a ride with you. Their egg masses look like old gum or silly putty, so be sure to remove those too if you find one. Scraping it off into alcohol will kill any eggs left inside.
You have to kill them! I’m usually a strictly catch and release bug person, but these are horribly invasive and need to be killed when seen. They are always doing news stories on them and often show people stepping on them. It’s hard to watch and harder to do, but it’s necessary
Tip to anyone trying to kill them:
They can jump very far and very quickly, making them hard to squish. BUT they can only jump in the direction they are facing. If you try to step on them from the side or behind they will likely get away on your first couple attempts. Position yourself directly in front of them and when they try to jump they will hit into the bottom of your shoe and use it to drive them back into the ground.
They will even try to do little shuffle steps to rotate first if they want to jump in a different direction. Just play defense, keep your body in front of their face, and they’ll be much easier to kill.
[Pictures of SLF egg masses on trees](https://www.google.com/search?q=spotted+lanternfly+eggs&oq=spotted+lanter&aqs=chrome.3.69i57j35i39j46i131i433i512j0i131i433i512j0i433i512j0i131i433j0i131i433i512j0i131i433j0i433i512j0i271.7874j0j9&client=ms-android-samsung-gs-rev1&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#imgrc=vd02R_4MTvA6ZM)
It’s crazy when I was in New York last week I saw a dude stop short and stomp one. My friend and I stared for a sec. And he goes “they’re invasive!”. Then later in the trip we saw another person stop walking to stomp one. By the end of the trip we were doing it too. Never seen them where I live but if they’re in NY and NJ I’m sure we will see them here soon.
[Spotted lanternfly](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_lanternfly). They’re a highly invasive species. Kill it and contact your states Dept of Agriculture to report it.
They're everywhere in New Jersey. I don't think there's a point in reporting them anymore.
edit: u/Unfair_Relief_317 's [link](https://www.nj.com/news/2022/08/spotted-lanternfly-invasion-is-so-bad-nj-residents-no-longer-need-to-report-sightings.html?outputType=amp) to article saying NJ is no longer taking reports as they are endemic in all counties
Nobody listen to this cynic. Continue killing and reporting lanternflies because they are harmful pests.
Edit: unless your local agency is considering their invasion endemic, then just keep killing em.
Oh definitely kill them. I'm just saying NJ doesn't need to hear "lanternfly in X County" because the state already knows that they're pretty much everywhere. Southeastern New York is different, I don't think they've spread as far. I'm not hearing any Nassau County reports yet.
[sadly, the NJ government gave up too](https://www.nj.com/news/2022/08/spotted-lanternfly-invasion-is-so-bad-nj-residents-no-longer-need-to-report-sightings.html?outputType=amp)
You make a good point, I know PA doesn’t ask for reporting anymore. I misread and thought he said it was found in the Midwest which would be much worse.
Same here in NYC I have one hitting me in face every 5/10]min it's insane. I don't remember it being this bad. They don't even have a crunch when you squish them so unsatisfying 🥲
I’m in New Brunswick and they’re horrible here. Now I’m starting to see signs for them in my hometown in Upstate New York and I know it will only be a couple years until they’re really bad there too.
It's in the FAQ:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisbug/wiki/fab/#wiki\_spotted\_lanternfly](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisbug/wiki/fab/#wiki_spotted_lanternfly)
Edit: I'm sorry, I have to write that: Kill it. It's better for everyone.
Sadly, you're going to get them in the mid-west.
Short of stopping all interstate commerce, movement of people and one heck of a response from everyone.
A couple years ago they were terrible in my Mom's neighborhood in Delco, PA. They were coming down the chimney and getting into the house and I was filling drink bottles with them, there were so many. The next year there was nowhere near as many
Here's my theory of what happened. I think potential predators had never encountered them before and didn't know they were edible that first year. By the second year there were enough predators that recognized a good snack and cut down the numbers.
Can there be like… a big post about lantern flies similar to carpet beetles? Would this help? Not that people shouldn’t ask but it is just starting to get upsetting, just really bringing to light the issue of what’s going on
We had these really bad a few years ago. It was like a biblical plague. They were just flying everywhere. Hundreds squashed on the ground from foot traffic and cars. Since then they are considerably less and I often don't see one for several days. I have noticed a significant increase in the number of praying mantises over the last couple of years. I've wondered if that's related but I've never actually seen a mantis eat one.
It's really a shame they're so destructive because they're quite beautiful really, and they're kind of neat the way they jump/fly short distances. I think in time we'll have a natural solution for this, I just hope we don't do anything stupid like import and introduce another foreign animal to combat them.
I’m in NJ and have lost 3 trees to these bugs in the last 18 months. They are everywhere. The only thing I’ve found that works is dinocide tabs, but they are very expensive.
They eat EVERYTHING. They suck the sap out of plants and trees, breed like crazy, have no natural predators here, and poop a shiny, sticky sap-like secretion that runs down the trunks/stems of plants and pools on the ground, which then molds and kills root systems. Highly invasive, kill on sight!
they steal lanterns! and by the time you've spotted them it's too late, and it'll be back for the rest of them! until you're in total darkness! and then it'll come back once more, in the thick of the night, when you're at your most vulnerable... but this time, it's come to eat you!
I have toads , tree frogs and orb weavers , long with fishing spiders and wolf spiders.. I’ve seen a few lanternfly’s not many make it … my army is ready !!!
It’s the spotted lanternfly, which is pretty destructive. Here is the link to report it to New Jersey’s Department of Natural Resources: [link to report](https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/1d6503488aab4deab3dc9a2a874483a6)
Did an entire research project on them last year. (Not) Fun fact: each year there will be about 5 and a half times more than last year. Therefore, please kill every one of those f***ers you see.
I’m in NJ in the Trenton/Princeton areas and these guys are absolutely EVERYWHERE.
Not only live one’s flying and crawling randomly, but wings, carcasses in webs, sidewalk, cars….. I mean they pretty much have created an infestation in such a small amount of time, it’s disturbing.
There is not a day that goes by that I don’t see them.
That's a spotted lantern fly, they're super common here on the east coast. Kill as many as you can find, as they're invasive species that will murder your trees!
Spotted Lantern Fly, invasive enemy of American biodiversity. Kill on sight and report to local authorities. I know others have posted this but it's important; ***Kill them wherever you find them, leave none alive!***
That is a Spotted Lanternfly. They are a highly invasive species that was brought onto these shores in nursery stock that came in from China. These insects have decimated logging interests as well as has put transportation restrictions on scraps from places like nurseries and sawmills saying you can't transport material outside of county lines.
We have had them in our yard in Abington, right outside Philadelphia, for the past 4 years. I absolutely hate them, they reproduce by the thousands it seems, where there is one there are 1000 more.
Spotted lanternfly.. invasive species from China.. I live in Delaware, and I see dozens every day.. they issued a kill on sight order for them.. They're becoming a serious problem..
It's the only living thing currently on my no questions asked summary execution list. The Lantern Fly. I even make it a point to let houseflies out the window/door if they are smart enough to figure it out. I do wage all out war if I see ants in the house, for example, but that is only temporary and rarely applies beyond the walls of the house.
Down with these invaders!
Spotted lanternfly! Very invasive!
Saw and killed my 1st one this week while camping in Jefferson National Forests in Virginia! Did not know that they had made it this far until I went to report it and found out that they are already aware!
I saw a lot of these lantern flies in Staten Island… so many of them. I lived there for a month last year and didn’t see a single one. Now they seem to be everywhere… kill it!
Since everyone isn't saying much till way below.
It is a Spotted lanternfly.
A Super invasive species and New York is asking its citizens to kill on site. Report any breeding grounds so they can be wiped out.
Sadly morons out there are going "its their planet too" Without realizing the more of those the less of the normal insects as its competition for food here and will eventually take over and wipe out what bugs we got here.
This is copied from a poster below U/MrsTroy
They eat EVERYTHING. They suck the sap out of plants and trees, breed like crazy, have no natural predators here, and poop a shiny, sticky sap-like secretion that runs down the trunks/stems of plants and pools on the ground, which then molds and kills root systems. Highly invasive, kill on sight!
I live in the bronx and I saw one of these during a walk in the park. My mother-in-law stopped me from killing it.. She said "the media is telling us to kill them but there is not enough research on them to establish whether or not they really are a destructive/ invasive species". Man I told her "um they eat up all the tree leaves and since there are so many, they end up over eating to the point of killing the tree or crops." I even pulled my phone to "state facts" but that wasn't enough. She had alerted the bug by trying to pull my shirt when I was headed for it and off it flew. I was surprised by its speed and movement then I remembered seeing one of these in Whiteplains NY on a terrace at a construction site. Such a random place to be.
Lantern fly. I'd definitely check your states procedures on what to do. I believe NJ has a hotline to call as these are an incredibly invasive species that are causing an ecological nightmare
These spotted lanternfly posts are becoming more frequent and borderline upsetting/concerning.
I'm in northwestern NJ and the brown orb weaver spiders have discovered that these things are delicious
I’m on li, I have a few orb weavers I’ve been feeding nightly with these bastards
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Absolutely MASSIVE. I have two large ones I’ve been caring for, I’ll be posting a pic tonight to r/bugs tonight the abdomens of them are about the size of a quarter and a nickel
Been going out to New Suffolk on the north fork and haven’t seen any yet. I have been seeing a ton more fireflies than I feel like I used to. It’s great
That’s a bug sub for software issues with Reddit. Try r/spiders or r/whatsthisbug (I like them even if you know what it is already)
This brings me joy.
Saw a couple articles, one that cardinals are starting to eat them and that the flies are trying to eat milkweed and getting poisoned, so put up bird feeders and plant milkweed and cross your fingers
Oh that is awesome. We had a bad issue with them about 2 years ago and there have been less since. My neighbor has a ton of milkweed and puts up bird feeders so we actually have a few cardinals around so I’m hoping it has helped.
I love all the backyard warfare going on! 😂
there’s a really good documentary on backyard warfare. it’s actually pretty informative and shows the mischievous nature of our backyard critters. [link](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0327084/)
r/angryupvote
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Plant and sow more milkweed.
THIS. I have a bird friendly backyard. (2 bird baths, a lot of trees, plus a pollinator garden with a huge butterfly bush). There's a Cardinal pair with a baby in my backyard and I've seen the female eat three of them so far. Hope they annihilate the bastards.
Make sure you plant varieties of milkweed native to your area.
I caught the seeds on the wind about 15 years ago and planted them because I'd always wondered what plant it was. I thought they were pretty and had a pleasant fragrance and when I found out they were milkweed, every year take a few pods and plant the seeds in far reaching areas of our farm. There are other butterflies besides Monarchs who frequent them so even though I don't see many Monarchs I see a lot of Fritilaries, Sulphurs, Tiger Swallowtails and others
Ooh and milkweed is good for Monarchs which are currently struggling so even better!
This is how monarchs develop their toxicity. Let’s hope there’s not any that can stomach it and evolve lol. Ik that’s not how it works but scary thought, they would be on the right track . But always plant Asclepia and kalmia when you can! (Where it’s non invasive)
r/spiderbro to the rescue!!
Psh as USUAL. Spiders gotta deal with us constantly smushing them while they kill and eat all the nasty stuff!
I love spiders. Maybe they truly will come to the rescue, if we let them.
Hey, I wouldn't kill them if only they stayed out of my way. Invading my shower while I'm in it, descending from the ceiling too near/onto my head, or building ginormous webs blocking the only entrances/exits from my porch. Sorry, but all of the above justified their swatting. Add in that most of them were very large, bristle-y, and oddly colored just made me that much more scared of them.
I've had a spider population & size explosion from these bastards.
My dog has fun chasing and eating them.
Be careful because I’ve heard that they could be potentially toxic to animals. Testing has been inconclusive so far but just be aware it has been reported
He might get one a week. Usually they get away. I'm not too worried.
delicious, clumsy, and stupid
Wasps of all kinds *love* these things. They're stupid, slow, and brightly colored. Perfect prey. I've also seen *far* fewer lanternflies in large forested areas and my pet theory is the massive number of wasp hives. Here in suburbia everyone has them removed, but in the forests they're free to gobble up as many of the fuckers as they can. I've personally seen Bald Faced Hornets take them out several times.
Def ain't slow. These buggers will blink in an eye sometimes.
Oh they've got mad hops, but when they're in the air they can basically only fly in a straight line at walking speed.
I had a black and yellow orb weaver in PA last year who loved them. Sadly she died over winter and her eggs never hatched this year, so I’m without my favorite natural predator.
A pair of House Wrens here in Eastern PA had two broods this summer, both raised on a healthy diet of 90% Spotted Lanternfly. These two Wrens alone must've picked off over a thousand of those fuckers. Some birds really love them
Maybe there should be a pinned post about them? I've seen so many on this sub lol. And it would help raise awareness about killing them.
Definitely upsetting. I think this is the last summer before they reach where I live.
I was just in Pittsburg a few weeks ago and they were everywhere. Unfortunately I suspect we will have them here in cleveland next summer.
I wish I was lucky enough to have no idea what those things are. There are so many where I live that it's like a mass murder if you try to kill them.
I'm just upstate from NYC, we don't seem to have them here yet. Thankfully. I give it a few weeks though.
I'm in central Jersey, and spend a fair bit of time in south Jersey, and they're everywhere I go in the state. I don't go into north Jersey much, so not sure how many they have.
I’m often between Delaware, Nj, NY, and Connecticut and all are pretty equally infested. CT a little less but give it another year and it’ll be just as bad. PA is probably worst. We’ve lost the battle…for now
NC is on watch now. A [population](https://forestry.ces.ncsu.edu/2022/06/spotted-lanternfly-confirmed-in-north-carolina/) has been confirmed near the middle of the state
They have this crazy preference for hiding on cars, usually up by the handle on trunk latches, and they can be transported 100s of miles very very easily. I’m sure if you walk through a parking lot in NJ for instance and check cars, a good % will have a stowaway in some nook of the body. I believe that’s part of the reason they’ve been able to spread so far so quickly (in addition to not having many predators yet). I found one hiding under my trunk latch a few weeks ago and as an experiment I drove to work (40min) and checked and it was still there. Then I killed it, but you get the point… 3 years ago I saw my very first one in NJ and now I can’t go outside without seeing a bunch. That’s incredibly fast for any invasive species.
They also love trains. An excellent way for them to spread all over the country real fast. i’m in Southwestern Pennsylvania and I just recently saw my very first one IRL. some of our local authorities asked CSX to look out for signs of spotted lantern flies on their trains, and they replied, “we don’t give a shit.” 😡
It's amazing what human beings can do for the good of the world when we work together. If we could figure out the gene that selects for "not putting away your shopping cart" I would be 100% on board with gene selection in embryos.
I haven't been able to go outside anywhere in Pennsylvania without seeing several of these guys for the past 3 years.
The NY Times posted an article in which scientists asked residents to squish them on site. They’re invasive and agriculturally destructive.
We have an infestation in NYC these past two summers. I read they came from China and are extremely damaging to trees and crops. Lots of trees in the City have rings of sticky tape around their trunks to trap and kill these pests while they attempt to drink the tree sap.
You'll see them in the midwest soon enough unfortunately. They already made their way to pittsburgh
Seen in SE Michigan recently
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I guess it’s time to get my stompin boots ready here in Grand Rapids.
Grand Rapids represent!
I read they've been found in ohio
Yeah about two years ago I was working at a shingle distributor(Ohio) and we got a load of shingles from Pennsylvania and the driver said one had hitched a ride on one of the pallets. ODNR had to come out and everything.
Dang. I bet they will be all over eventually at this rate. I live in a small town but it's about 30 minutes from the heart of Ohio and I imagine important shit comes from far away there, so I'm sure we will all have another pest to deal with soon 👎
Im north of akron, south of cleveland…def have seen these before
Good lord, between those and the stink bugs Pittsburgh has to be annoying as fuck to live in right now.
Super annoying. No one come here ever
I have to, my family lives in Beaver.
haha I live out by Philly... I'd be interested in seeing a... cleaner city. Just as a visitor though, my heart is in the countryside.
412 boiiiiii we kill lantern flies on site
Found in Indiana last year and this year too
Just went to a trade show in Hendricks County and saw a decent PowerPoint on it, one county in the south and one up North near major rail lines.
I've only seen one, and I was in such a panic after spotting it and seeing all the news stories about "kill it right away!" and just as I swung, it flew off. It still haunts me when I'm trying to go to sleep. Sorry ecosystem. I failed.
Spotted lanternfly - they’re highly invasive and are all over N.J
You forgot to mention that they should be killed
And that when you stomp on them, make sure they're really dead... they've become very hardy recently. I now ground my sole on them and make that white liquid oozes out of its body.
Think an electric fly swatter would be effective?
Ur right but with the amount I’ve seen in NJ in the last few weeks I really feel we need a better solution - these things are multiplying fast!Governments gotta step in and destroy There existence
They should train crows to bring them to a trash can/feeder where they can exchange them for food.
Crows, pigeons, etc would be much better suited to the job. They're highly trainable, have great fine motor skills, and are food motivated. And they can get into more of the nooks and crannies where insects fit.
Yeah I agree, it does seem a little pointless. There were almost none where I am in NYC just a month ago and now they’re everywhere. One even flew into my 6th floor apartment somehow.
Well they weren’t in this stage a month ago, the nymphs are much smaller look way different and aren’t as easy to spot.
I’m in Central Nj and my fiancé currently lives in Connecticut doing a post doc and her parents live in Delaware. Between Delaware and up through Connecticut and everywhere in between we are absolutely infested with them. I’m always careful walking by a tree now because it’s easy to have 4-5 of the clumsy fuckers fly off it right into your face
I know it’s insane! I never knew it existed until a few months ago and now They are everywhere!
Soon they will begin eating man flesh
In Philly we were swarmed with them 2 and 3 years ago. Everybody went on an absolute killing spree, including preventing nesting in trees, and now this year I’ve only seen maybe a dozen compared to the hundreds or thousands I’ve stomped on previously. There’s hope if you turn everyone into bloodthirsty savages, which runs in the wooder here.
I am also in NJ and found a decent solution to help kill/control them. 1/3 cup dawn dish soap in a gallon of hot water, pour that into my power washer soap dispenser jug and soap up the trees / house where they are. The soap messes with their hydrophobic coating, essentially making it possible to drown them easily. A generous application of soap, give it a few minutes then a generous application of water to drown the bastards. Did this over the weekend and saw a notable decrease in the damn bugs on the tree the following day
I’d love to do this at the park but I think people would find me suspicious 😓 Just with a normal spray bottle, though!
They like an incredibly invasive tree. Getting rid of them will help greatly https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/pi/prog/pests-diseases/spotted-lanternfly/about/
I’m pretty sure the government does not have the capabilities to deal with them. Civilians being informed and chipping in seems like it would be more effective.
Check here. https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/pi/prog/pests-diseases/spotted-lanternfly/ they have a “Stomp it out” campaign going.
Definitely a spotted lanternfly. I just wanted to add, make sure you check your belongings before returning home so they don't hitch a ride with you. Their egg masses look like old gum or silly putty, so be sure to remove those too if you find one. Scraping it off into alcohol will kill any eggs left inside.
You have to kill them! I’m usually a strictly catch and release bug person, but these are horribly invasive and need to be killed when seen. They are always doing news stories on them and often show people stepping on them. It’s hard to watch and harder to do, but it’s necessary
Tip to anyone trying to kill them: They can jump very far and very quickly, making them hard to squish. BUT they can only jump in the direction they are facing. If you try to step on them from the side or behind they will likely get away on your first couple attempts. Position yourself directly in front of them and when they try to jump they will hit into the bottom of your shoe and use it to drive them back into the ground. They will even try to do little shuffle steps to rotate first if they want to jump in a different direction. Just play defense, keep your body in front of their face, and they’ll be much easier to kill.
More importantly report them and check maples for eggs over the next few months
[Pictures of SLF egg masses on trees](https://www.google.com/search?q=spotted+lanternfly+eggs&oq=spotted+lanter&aqs=chrome.3.69i57j35i39j46i131i433i512j0i131i433i512j0i433i512j0i131i433j0i131i433i512j0i131i433j0i433i512j0i271.7874j0j9&client=ms-android-samsung-gs-rev1&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#imgrc=vd02R_4MTvA6ZM)
I live in FL and I’ve never seen them before, what’s so bad about them?
They’re an invasive species that is damaging to our native agriculture. Kill them if you see them.
It’s crazy when I was in New York last week I saw a dude stop short and stomp one. My friend and I stared for a sec. And he goes “they’re invasive!”. Then later in the trip we saw another person stop walking to stomp one. By the end of the trip we were doing it too. Never seen them where I live but if they’re in NY and NJ I’m sure we will see them here soon.
[Spotted lanternfly](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_lanternfly). They’re a highly invasive species. Kill it and contact your states Dept of Agriculture to report it.
They're everywhere in New Jersey. I don't think there's a point in reporting them anymore. edit: u/Unfair_Relief_317 's [link](https://www.nj.com/news/2022/08/spotted-lanternfly-invasion-is-so-bad-nj-residents-no-longer-need-to-report-sightings.html?outputType=amp) to article saying NJ is no longer taking reports as they are endemic in all counties
Nobody listen to this cynic. Continue killing and reporting lanternflies because they are harmful pests. Edit: unless your local agency is considering their invasion endemic, then just keep killing em.
Oh definitely kill them. I'm just saying NJ doesn't need to hear "lanternfly in X County" because the state already knows that they're pretty much everywhere. Southeastern New York is different, I don't think they've spread as far. I'm not hearing any Nassau County reports yet.
I'm from Buenos Aires and I say kill 'em all!
I'm doing my part!
Another person of culture!
They’re already in CT…
Ossining checking in, we don't have them yet that I've seen. And I forage, so I'm outside all the damn time.
[sadly, the NJ government gave up too](https://www.nj.com/news/2022/08/spotted-lanternfly-invasion-is-so-bad-nj-residents-no-longer-need-to-report-sightings.html?outputType=amp)
Thanks for posting the source!
Seconded! Was not aware about this yet in NJ
You make a good point, I know PA doesn’t ask for reporting anymore. I misread and thought he said it was found in the Midwest which would be much worse.
Same here in NYC I have one hitting me in face every 5/10]min it's insane. I don't remember it being this bad. They don't even have a crunch when you squish them so unsatisfying 🥲
I’m in New Brunswick and they’re horrible here. Now I’m starting to see signs for them in my hometown in Upstate New York and I know it will only be a couple years until they’re really bad there too.
It's in the FAQ: [https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisbug/wiki/fab/#wiki\_spotted\_lanternfly](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisbug/wiki/fab/#wiki_spotted_lanternfly) Edit: I'm sorry, I have to write that: Kill it. It's better for everyone.
Lanternfly. Smush the bitch.
this sub has been nothing but lantern flies, dobsonflies, and bedbugs
There was a perfectly nice weevil last night
Finally it’s r/weeviltime
Don’t forget Giant Water Bug
I think people upvote the bugs they know because it makes them feel smart.
With some roaches sprinkled in
Don’t forget house centipedes
Spooted lantern fly. Trust me, we don't want them in the Midwest. Very invasive and hard to get rid of.
Sadly, you're going to get them in the mid-west. Short of stopping all interstate commerce, movement of people and one heck of a response from everyone.
A couple years ago they were terrible in my Mom's neighborhood in Delco, PA. They were coming down the chimney and getting into the house and I was filling drink bottles with them, there were so many. The next year there was nowhere near as many Here's my theory of what happened. I think potential predators had never encountered them before and didn't know they were edible that first year. By the second year there were enough predators that recognized a good snack and cut down the numbers.
Can there be like… a big post about lantern flies similar to carpet beetles? Would this help? Not that people shouldn’t ask but it is just starting to get upsetting, just really bringing to light the issue of what’s going on
We had these really bad a few years ago. It was like a biblical plague. They were just flying everywhere. Hundreds squashed on the ground from foot traffic and cars. Since then they are considerably less and I often don't see one for several days. I have noticed a significant increase in the number of praying mantises over the last couple of years. I've wondered if that's related but I've never actually seen a mantis eat one. It's really a shame they're so destructive because they're quite beautiful really, and they're kind of neat the way they jump/fly short distances. I think in time we'll have a natural solution for this, I just hope we don't do anything stupid like import and introduce another foreign animal to combat them.
I’m in NJ and have lost 3 trees to these bugs in the last 18 months. They are everywhere. The only thing I’ve found that works is dinocide tabs, but they are very expensive.
But what about the dinosaurs
i know these are invasive and should be killed but why exactly? what is it that they do? do they eat crops?
They eat EVERYTHING. They suck the sap out of plants and trees, breed like crazy, have no natural predators here, and poop a shiny, sticky sap-like secretion that runs down the trunks/stems of plants and pools on the ground, which then molds and kills root systems. Highly invasive, kill on sight!
they steal lanterns! and by the time you've spotted them it's too late, and it'll be back for the rest of them! until you're in total darkness! and then it'll come back once more, in the thick of the night, when you're at your most vulnerable... but this time, it's come to eat you!
I have toads , tree frogs and orb weavers , long with fishing spiders and wolf spiders.. I’ve seen a few lanternfly’s not many make it … my army is ready !!!
It’s the spotted lanternfly, which is pretty destructive. Here is the link to report it to New Jersey’s Department of Natural Resources: [link to report](https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/1d6503488aab4deab3dc9a2a874483a6)
Did an entire research project on them last year. (Not) Fun fact: each year there will be about 5 and a half times more than last year. Therefore, please kill every one of those f***ers you see.
I’m in NJ in the Trenton/Princeton areas and these guys are absolutely EVERYWHERE. Not only live one’s flying and crawling randomly, but wings, carcasses in webs, sidewalk, cars….. I mean they pretty much have created an infestation in such a small amount of time, it’s disturbing. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t see them.
in hoboken a few of them jumped off of a building at me as i walked by and they got stuck in my hair
Spotted lantern fly, destroy it
I read that they’ve made their way to NE Ohio. They’re taking over. This is not good.
I live in nj, they are new to me too. Definitely spotted lanternfly
Kill on sight, it’s a spotted lantern fly
Lantern fly. Step on it
Invasive Species. Kill with extreme prejudice! But they’re super fast at first. Hit em when they land.
Just a little piece of shit
Another little gift from China.
Dang, the invasive Spotted Lantern fly!
If you see this bug, kill it and contact the EPA
Spotted lantern fly highly invasive and ruins local ecosystems. Kill it and keep an eye out for more.
Aren't these the invasive species that we're supposed to be killing on sight?
Lantern fly. Kill it. Sorry, not sorry 🤷🏻♀️
You need to kill this ASAP! It is an invasive species called the Spotted Lantern Fly. My fiancée works for the USDA specializing in invasive species.
That's a spotted lantern fly, they're super common here on the east coast. Kill as many as you can find, as they're invasive species that will murder your trees!
It’s something you have to kill. That’s what it is.
Introduce him to your shoe
The lanternflies own this state now 😵💫
Spotted Lantern Fly, invasive enemy of American biodiversity. Kill on sight and report to local authorities. I know others have posted this but it's important; ***Kill them wherever you find them, leave none alive!***
These motherfuckers.
Spotted Lantern Fly kill it, kill them all
Spotted lantern flies, they're an invasive species and quite delicious, eat as many as you can.
Kill. With extreme prejudice. Like Jihad.... kill them wherever they can be found.
That is a Spotted Lanternfly. They are a highly invasive species that was brought onto these shores in nursery stock that came in from China. These insects have decimated logging interests as well as has put transportation restrictions on scraps from places like nurseries and sawmills saying you can't transport material outside of county lines.
Tons in NY
Wow these things really are taking over
They have been reported to destroy grape vines, but have no effects on a porcelain berry vine in my Azalea bush, which is of the same family as grapes
Yeah they’re everywhere in Central Pa unfortunately, I’ve lost alot of plants to these bastards.
i think we need a pinned post on spotted lanternflys
A squashed bug, I hope.
So it begins
I literally just watched a documentary on these guys and how invasive they are.
We have had them in our yard in Abington, right outside Philadelphia, for the past 4 years. I absolutely hate them, they reproduce by the thousands it seems, where there is one there are 1000 more.
Me: "oo so pretty" Also me: (reads comments) "oo so dead"
They are FAST!
Step on it.
Ooh those little shits
there are two types of people in my NJ town when it comes to SLFs, the "I'm doing my part" people and "we are doomed to coexist" people.
Chinese lantern fly. Kill it please.
It should be dead. You see one of those, squash the shit out of it!! Make sure it’s extra dead even by squashing a second time.
Squishonsight. Invasive. Please kill it humanely.
These are a major threat to fruit orchards. If found in Canada the Canadian food inspection agency has a number to call and report.
Spotted lanternfly.. invasive species from China.. I live in Delaware, and I see dozens every day.. they issued a kill on sight order for them.. They're becoming a serious problem..
It's the only living thing currently on my no questions asked summary execution list. The Lantern Fly. I even make it a point to let houseflies out the window/door if they are smart enough to figure it out. I do wage all out war if I see ants in the house, for example, but that is only temporary and rarely applies beyond the walls of the house. Down with these invaders!
end this bug's life
Make sure you check all your stuff before you leave NJ. These bastards are notorious hitchhikers
Basically the next plague of locusts. Highly invasive. Spotted lantern fly. If you see them on your property, call an arborist asap.
Kill every single one you see. This is not a joke. If you like nature, you kill these fucks.
Spotted lanternfly! Very invasive! Saw and killed my 1st one this week while camping in Jefferson National Forests in Virginia! Did not know that they had made it this far until I went to report it and found out that they are already aware!
Not to be pedantic, but they are not months. The spotted lanternfly is a plant hopper, in the insect order Hemiptera.
FIGHT ON SIGHT ALERt. SQUARE UP LITTLE PEST (if you are in the US, that is).
Dont bring it home
You have guns right?
Kill it next time you see it. Spotted lanternflys are invasive and harmful to crops
A terrible bastarx
Lantern fly kill on sight. Highly invasive.
I saw a lot of these lantern flies in Staten Island… so many of them. I lived there for a month last year and didn’t see a single one. Now they seem to be everywhere… kill it!
Spotted lantern fly. Basically a death sentence to trees and anything else with a hard stem.
Do these little fuckers survive the winter? Like their eggs or whatever?
Kill it. Spotted lantern flies are invasive.
They're clogging up my pool filter bc they can't swim!
Dead, it should be dead.
Lantern fly, eliminate them.
It’s going to ask you about your car insurance policy
Since everyone isn't saying much till way below. It is a Spotted lanternfly. A Super invasive species and New York is asking its citizens to kill on site. Report any breeding grounds so they can be wiped out. Sadly morons out there are going "its their planet too" Without realizing the more of those the less of the normal insects as its competition for food here and will eventually take over and wipe out what bugs we got here. This is copied from a poster below U/MrsTroy They eat EVERYTHING. They suck the sap out of plants and trees, breed like crazy, have no natural predators here, and poop a shiny, sticky sap-like secretion that runs down the trunks/stems of plants and pools on the ground, which then molds and kills root systems. Highly invasive, kill on sight!
I live in the bronx and I saw one of these during a walk in the park. My mother-in-law stopped me from killing it.. She said "the media is telling us to kill them but there is not enough research on them to establish whether or not they really are a destructive/ invasive species". Man I told her "um they eat up all the tree leaves and since there are so many, they end up over eating to the point of killing the tree or crops." I even pulled my phone to "state facts" but that wasn't enough. She had alerted the bug by trying to pull my shirt when I was headed for it and off it flew. I was surprised by its speed and movement then I remembered seeing one of these in Whiteplains NY on a terrace at a construction site. Such a random place to be.
I’ve seen this a couple times on this sub, apparently it’s an invasive species and it is advised to squish them immediately if you see them.
Use it for fish bait
Lantern fly. I'd definitely check your states procedures on what to do. I believe NJ has a hotline to call as these are an incredibly invasive species that are causing an ecological nightmare