No, using a pesticide to attempt to eradicate Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) is not recommended or practical, since the insect is present in nearly every Maryland county and several other states at this point. No insecticide ingredient is specific to SLF; all bear a risk of harm to other insects or wildlife, though organic, contact-only products break down faster and limit the risk of spray residue exposure to harmless species.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture is the regulatory agency monitoring invasive species like SLF. When the insect first appeared in Maryland (it was initially found in Pennsylvania), the MDA encouraged residents to squish them on sight, and to find and remove egg masses in winter.  Since it's a new insect to North America, biologists didn't know what impact it would have on forests, agriculture, and gardens. Now, we know that they are more of a nuisance than a serious threat, though like any insect pest, high populations feeding on one plant could weaken it and predispose it to other issues. (That risk is not unique to SLF.)

Even if SLF eradication efforts were effective in the short term, they would not be able to reduce or noticeably affect local populations for very long, as the insect is firmly established in this region, having been introduced just over a decade ago. Since they can fly as adults, lanternflies can easily repopulate an area under their own power or by hitch-hiking on transportation, which is probably how they wound-up in so many states at this point. Fortunately, natural controls like predatory insects, birds, bats, and other animals are learning to eat them, which helps to reduce their population. The insects also fall victim to naturally-occurring insect-infecting fungi, and research is underway to determine if any of them that are already commercially available are more effective than others. Even though that would be a more natural insecticide solution, it still is not lanternfly-specific, so other insects exposed to fungal spore sprays could still be harmed.

We do not recommend hiring anyone to make insecticide applications for SLF, mainly because no treatment will affect only those insects, and because for the vast majority of home landscape plants, lanternfly isn't going to cause any serious damage. It's unfortunate that some companies (including at least one that has labeled its insecticide spray product prominently for SLF) are touting control options that imply they are low-risk for other organisms since the product label or service advertising focuses on lanternfly, which could easily be misinterpreted as a targeted way to eliminate these pests with few environmental consequences. The initial MDA messaging campaign to encourage the public to identify and eliminate SLF when it was new to the area was focused on preventing the insect from becoming established, but that opportunity has long since passed.

Miri

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