Funny coincidence about this -- in today's mail was a notice from my tree company about lanternfly problem. It said the best thing to do was to scrape the egg masses off and destroy, just as gardengal mentioned. Sorry you are having to deal with this.

Function, using a systemic pesticide is not the solution in this case. Have you found these insects on your property?

Please contact your local Penn State Extension office for up to date local information. As gardengal says, our Extension professionals are always the best source of information.

Please note that your Extension is hosting public meetings about this pest. You may be able to attend one, or a workshop. Public meeting information.

I am really dreading seeing what this season brings. We first saw some 2 summers ago when we had just moved in.

Last summer was insane. I know in our community, that they have been scraping the eggs. I think they were doing it in late autumn. I really hope they have less of a presence this year.

I saw that same news feed. Also in SW PA. Honestly, I would rather not know about a new type of bug. I am barely over the stink bug.

Sorry to hear about that. They seem to be moving quickly. In the fall DD and I were relaxing in Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia and one landed on me. At that time they had not crossed the Susquehanna River and Penn State had hoped the winter would slow them down.

This destructive pest is on its way to my town too :-(

Here in the western suburbs of Philadelphia we have loads of them. Last summer we and our neighbors got together and hired someone to cut down a group of ailanthus trees on the boundary of our properties. We're all trying to be vigilant about scraping off egg masses, but it seems like a losing battle.

Oh, swell. Here in Illinois we are still catching up with the aftermath of Emerald Ash Borer. An Oak blight is coming. And soon we’ll have SLF? But thanks for the heads up, I’ll check with our local extension.

Maire and Bookwoman--- I could "out-ew!" you with photos of our area last year. What amazed me was that they would also congregate on buildings - there is a restaurant where one of my book clubs was meeting and even on the windows the lantern flies were covering it. Horrendous. (and even might I add, at Longwood). :(

there is a restaurant where one of my book clubs was meeting and even on the windows the lantern flies were covering it.

Yep - we also saw this at a restaurant last fall. Oh, and Longwood too? Yipes.

Rhizo, I haven't been able to check for any egg masses yet. Yesterday I went to head out and it started raining. The weather hasn't been cooperating. I'm semi rural. Lots of vegetation.

Salonva, I read they are everywhere eastern PA and they have a ravenous appetite. I don't have many large trees, but want to save what I have. Most I have are the smaller varieties. Dogwood, Japanese maple, ornamental cherry, etc. Do you know if they attack shrubs such as lilac, pussywillow, forsythia, etc.

Raterbesewing, lol stink bugs. Yea, they are annoying, but at least not very destructive. I've got a handle on them. They like to try getting in my 3 season room in the fall. I found out spraying the screen tracks with pyrethrin keeps them at bay. My biggest bug battles are with the Japanese beetles and ticks. I got them under control now with neem oil or pyrethrin. Plus we have the lawn guy spray the lawn for the grubs and ticks. Just what we need , new type of bug. Lol. Then of course last year we had the cicadas.

Bookwoman, sorry to hear you had to cut down trees due to them. Such a shame. I heard you can't get all the eggs. They lay them on any flat surface. Even concrete and under cars.

I guess I will have to do some extensive internet search to find the best way to deal with them. Sounds like scraping eggs and sticky tape is only slightly effective.

Bookwoman, sorry to hear you had to cut down trees due to them.

No need to be sorry. Ailanthus are awful invasives (they're the tree that grows in Brooklyn for a reason!), and we were happy to get rid of them.

Bookwoman, nuance trees. There is some black walnuts over the hill the bugs can have. Lol.

When we moved in we had 48 elm taken out due to dz. Hated to see them go. Plus $$ to remove.

So far I haven't seen any in my neighborhood but I expect to when it gets warmer.

There's an artist in the Philly area that makes earrings out of their wings.

https://6abc.com/5565418/

How clever of her.

re: Ailanthus...does the presence of one draw more lanternflies in, or does it actually help by pulling them away from neighboring plants in favor of this preferred host?

Amazing little critters are the lantern fly. They look so different at different stages of life.

Your best bet is to seek out knowledge locally through a government extension service or university. Most of us here are not the ones to ask. You are likely to get a lot of opinion and misinformation by asking the general public.

Good discussion but you had better ask otherwise for the best strategy.

I have seen these critters before I had any awareness of what they were, and have seen the eggs before I knew what they were. They are quite distinctive.

Absolutly contact your Penn State county extension office-tons of good info. No public presentations until at least May 15, but since it's just been spotted in westeren PA I'm sure there will be events once we can gather again. Check out the PSU ext website. Even if the office isn't operating fully I'm sure they could get a copy of the "control for homeowners" to you. It's really good info to ID SLF at its life stages. Systemic treatments aren't really the front line of treatment right now-it's more like "scrape eggs" "squish the adults". Oh, and here in eastern PA I've found that I've had better results stomping them from the front-those little buggers can hop! PA is the epicenter of this problem & there is so much research going on to try to control it. Hopefully this will turn out like the Gypsy Moth problem of years ago-a problem that eventually found a solution. Be educated, spread the word, and check out info on the quarantine, especially if you or others you know ought to have a permit for their business. Just my opinion!

It's been suggested to me that kids love squashing them-maybe organize the neighborhood?

Of course extension isn't doing anything in person these days, but they are offering a free webinar series this month-"Spotted Lanternfly In The Spotlight" I can't find the link (forgive me-I've done at least 6 webinars this week when the weather was crummy!) I think you have until 5/10 to register-search it on the website, or I'll send the link if I find it. I hope you found the handout for homeowners-it's really got some good info. If you sign up for their newsletter you'll get notification of lots that is going on online & in your area once things return to normal (can't come too soon!)

re: Ailanthus...does the presence of one draw more lanternflies in, or does it actually help by pulling them away from neighboring plants in favor of this preferred host?

If they are in the area, they will feed on a lot of different plants. Sadly, they are also fond of our fruit trees & vines. Ailanthus can be treated to stop them, but it's not cheap, so some agencies are eliminating most & retaining some to act as "trap" trees that are treated. "Bugs is bugs" if they can't find steak (ailanthus) they'll have a burger (grapevines!) We're in nymph season in PA-if you can't eliminate the tree consider banding your trees to trap them

Thank you. I have checked my trees and no sign of them ....yet. I know it is only a matter of time.