With the state’s spotted lanternfly quarantine now expanded to 56 counties, including Franklin, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is encouraging everyone to destroy lanternfly eggs in the coming weeks to help protect valuable food and ornamental crops.
Adult insects die off over the winter after laying tiny rows of eggs, covering them with a putty-colored protective coating. The egg masses, which can be on any outdoor surface, from trees and rocks to equipment and lawn furniture, each contain 30-50 eggs approximately the size of a pinhead and have survived winters in sub-zero temperatures. Scraping and smashing them is easy and requires no special tools.
To learn how to recognize and report spotted lanternflies, control them on your property and keep from taking them to new homes when you travel, visit www.agriculture.pa.gov/spottedlanternfly.
Spotted lanternflies feed on plant sap, weakening trees and vines, and their waste product (honeydew) encourages the growth of sooty mold. This mold can further damage plants and make them less productive
