New Jersey gardeners face a growing challenge with spotted lanternflies invading yards. Identifying them early is key to keeping them under control.
Once spotted, quick action can save your plants. Here are simple ways New Jersey gardeners can protect their outdoor spaces.
1. Learn Their Life Stages
These invasive bugs look different throughout the year. In spring, New Jersey residents might spot black-spotted white egg masses on trees, cars, or outdoor furniture. By summer, they transform into red-spotted black nymphs.
By late summer, they develop their distinctive gray wings with black spots and bright red underwings. Knowing these stages helps you identify them year-round, making control much easier.
2. Check Your Trees
Lanternflies have a favorite hangout spot: the Tree of Heaven. These weedy trees are common throughout New Jersey and act like lanternfly magnets. Look for multiple small tree trunks growing in clusters with smooth bark and large compound leaves.
Regularly inspect these trees, plus your maples, black walnuts, and fruit trees where lanternflies also gather. Early detection on your property means faster control before they spread.
3. Scrape Away Egg Masses
During fall and winter, female lanternflies lay cement-colored egg masses that resemble smears of mud. Garden enthusiasts across New Jersey can scrape these masses off trees, patio furniture, or buildings using an old credit card or putty knife.
Place scraped eggs into alcohol, hand sanitizer, or ziplock bags to ensure they’re destroyed. Each mass contains 30-50 eggs, so removing just one prevents dozens of future pests!
4. Set Sticky Traps
Sticky traps wrapped around tree trunks catch nymphs as they crawl up to feed. Many New Jersey hardware stores now carry specialized lanternfly traps, or you can make your own with tree banding tape.
Cover the sticky surface with chicken wire to prevent birds and small animals from getting stuck. Place these traps on Tree of Heaven and other host trees from April through October for maximum effectiveness.
5. Stomp On Sight
Sometimes the simplest solution works best! When you spot these insects in your New Jersey yard, squash them immediately. Lanternflies are slow-moving and don’t bite or sting, making them easy targets.
They’re most active during warm afternoons. Grab a flyswatter or wear sturdy shoes for your bug-squashing mission. While it might seem crude, physical destruction remains one of the most effective immediate controls.
6. Vacuum Them Up
For heavy infestations on your New Jersey property, break out the shop vac! These pests tend to cluster together on tree trunks or plants, making vacuum collection surprisingly effective. Add soapy water to the vacuum tank first to ensure they don’t survive.
Morning is the best time for this method, as lanternflies are slower and less likely to jump away. This approach works especially well for nymphs that are too small for stomping.
7. Try Natural Sprays
Garden-friendly sprays can help manage lanternflies without harsh chemicals. Mix water with neem oil or insecticidal soap and spray directly on the bugs you see around your New Jersey home.
Vinegar solutions (1:1 with water) also work in a pinch. These natural options won’t harm beneficial insects as much as chemical pesticides. Spray in the morning or evening when lanternflies are less active for best results.
8. Report Sightings
Be a citizen scientist by reporting lanternfly sightings to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture! Take clear photos showing the insects and note the exact location before submitting through their online portal or dedicated app.
These reports help officials track the spread across the Garden State and direct resources to high-infestation areas. Your observation could help protect farms and forests throughout New Jersey.
9. Remove Host Plants
The most effective long-term strategy involves removing the Tree of Heaven from your property. These invasive trees actually attract lanternflies to New Jersey yards. Small trees can be pulled by hand, while larger ones may require professional removal.
Replace them with native alternatives like oak or maple. Be careful when removing—Tree of Heaven can regrow from root fragments and may require herbicide treatment for complete eradication.
10. Check Vehicles
Lanternflies are notorious hitchhikers! Before driving away from infested areas in New Jersey, check your car thoroughly. Look under windshield wipers, inside wheel wells, and on bumpers where these sneaky bugs might hide.
This simple habit prevents accidentally transporting them to new locations across the state. Remember to check recreational vehicles too—lanternflies have been found on bikes, ATVs, and even moving trucks!