Tree of Heaven and Lantern Flies - Ask Extension
Hi!! We recently bought a house and there is a large, smelly Tree of Heaven in the back yard that has kind of gotten tangled up with another tree.Â...
Knowledgebase
Tree of Heaven and Lantern Flies #877757
Asked July 18, 2024, 10:17 AM EDT
Hi!!Â
We recently bought a house and there is a large, smelly Tree of Heaven in the back yard that has kind of gotten tangled up with another tree. I am trying to keep up with the smaller plants popping up all over the place from the root system and the whole thing is just COVERED with spotted lantern flies. Can a regular tree removal service help with this? Or is there something special I need to do to make sure it never comes back? It's really awful. Â
Frederick County Maryland
Expert Response
The only (somewhat) special treatment that Tree of Heaven would need for removal efforts to be effective is pre-treatment with a systemic herbicide, and then allowing the tree enough time (perhaps a month) to succumb to its affects before it's cut down. If cut too soon after treatment, or if the herbicide step was skipped, then sucker growth might be excessive for years to come. You can find more thorough details about control methods and their timing (calendar) in Penn State resources, which our page above links to.
Miri
Miri
