Knowledgebase

SLF Insecticide #872220

Asked June 08, 2024, 5:29 PM EDT

I would like a list of insecticides that kill the spotted lantern fly. There are tons of them on our property that is next to an abandoned area that has many Trees of Heaven popping up. Ideally, I wouldn’t want to use an insecticide, but the amount of them is alarming and we are hoping to disrupt the lifecycle before they are flying.

Anne Arundel County Maryland

Expert Response

While it may seem alarming, it's not considered so.
We do not recommend using insecticides for them.

  • Spotted lanternfly is mainly a nuisance pest in residential gardens and landscapes and has not been shown to significantly damage otherwise healthy ornamental plants.
  • Spraying pesticides, including home remedies, can do more harm than good when it comes to spotted lanternfly in residential greenspaces. Any chemicals can potentially harm pollinators and beneficial insects.
  • Consider more sustainable management options or leaving spotted lanternflies for predators to feed on.
The nymphs you may kill (they are hard to contact and move quickly) will just be replaced by others moving in.
While early research suggested that they feed primarily on Tree of Heaven research has shown it can complete its lifecycle on many different plants.

Our page on Spotted Lanternfly will explain more:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/spotted-lanternfly-management-residents/


Christine


Answered by theHome and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied June 10, 2024, 11:43 AM EDT

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