The Backyard Pest You Can’t Afford To Let Live

When it comes to our front yards, back yards, and gardens, most of us have a real “live and let live” philosophy when it comes to various pests. In fact, some of us have stopped tending all or part of our property just to make it friendlier to whatever wildlife lives in the area.

But would you believe there is one pest you pretty much have to kill on sight? One that will destroy your yard and completely ruin your property value? Worse yet, this is a pest that looks like a beautiful butterfly, hiding in plain sight until it’s too late.

We’re talking, of course, about the spotted lanternfly. What is this insect, how do you spot it, and how can you keep it from ruining your yard? Keep reading to find out!

Meet the spotted lanternfly

Just what the heck is a spotted lanternfly? In short, it’s a butterfly-like creature that has a voracious appetite for tree sap. As such, it’s a major enemy to all the trees around your property (more on this soon).

These pests also cause environmental changes, and when they’re in your yard long enough, unwanted mold will begin to develop. Still on the fence about taking these things out on sight? You won’t be once you realize just how dangerous they can really be.

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What makes the lanternfly so dangerous?

Earlier, we covered how spotted lanternflies love to feed on sap. They will suck the sap right out of your trees and plants, leaving them drained and weakened. As mentioned before, they will also create an environment where mold can easily develop.

The lanternflies are bad enough because they destroy trees and plants and bring mold right to your doorstep. To make things worse, they will also attract bees and wasps to your property. And if left unchecked, lanternflies create a nasty public menace, and Pennsylvania found this out the hard way. 

A public menace that has gotten out of hand

The United States Agricultural Department eventually discovered that Pennsylvania was absolutely infested with spotted lanternflies. And their damage goes far beyond the backyard: for example, the researchers estimated that these critters could cost the state economy $324 million each year. On top of that, a staggering 2,800 jobs could be lost due to these pernicious pests.

Believe it or not, things get even worse. Penn State researchers determined that the lanternflies might cost $42.6 million to the state’s agricultural industry. Left unchecked, that amount could reach $99.1 million and cause $236.5 million in damage to the state’s forest product industry.

That’s just a taste of how much damage these pesky pests can cause when they aren’t stopped. Fortunately, you can do your part in preventing a local infestation by destroying these things on your property whenever you see them.

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How to identify lanternflies

Before you can take care of the spotted lanternflies on your property, you need to know how to accurately identify them. First of all, adult pests are about one inch long, with black and red wings. Their bodies are covered by dark spots.

Meanwhile, baby lanternflies (known as nymphs) are black in coloration. They have white spots that will turn red as they get older. The bottom line is simple: no matter how young or old they are, you need to take these pests out as soon as you see them. And this guide has all the knowledge you need to get started.

What to do about lanternflies

The most basic way of taking out spotted lanternflies is to squish them. You can do this with your hand (we recommend wearing globes) or with tools. It may seem a bit primitive, but this technique always works. And if you try to whip up some chemical DIY solution, you may end up creating something that is dangerous to your pets and other local wildlife.

In addition to the critters themselves, you need to take out the lanternfly egg masses. The best way to do this is to scrape these masses into a jar. If necessary, use some rubbing alcohol to remove the masses from the trees or other surfaces.

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Calling in the professionals

The only real problem with the techniques above is that they are reactionary. If you see a bug, you kill the bug. But if you keep seeing spotted lanternflies, you may want to take things up a notch in driving them off your property.

To that end, you shouldn’t hesitate to contact your local pest professionals to help combat this menace. You might be worried about the cost of hiring a pro, but trust us: after these lanternflies start doing their damage, it will cost far more to undo what they have done. As always, an ounce of prevention is easier–and far cheaper–than a pound of cure.