More on Spotted Lanternfly

Adam Chorba, Forest Specialist, Bradford County Conservation District
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​Hopefully you’ve already heard of the spotted lanternfly at this point, but in case you haven’t, Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is an invasive planthopper native to Asia that feeds on a wide range of plants, including grapevines, apple trees, stone fruit trees, and other hardwood trees. When the spotted lanternfly feeds, it excretes a sticky, sugary fluid that promotes sooty mold growth, which can further damage plants. Its preferred host is tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima). The pest was first detected in 2014 in Pennsylvania. It likely arrived in the United States on goods shipped from overseas. Today, 19 States and the District of Columbia have some degree of infestation. The spotted lanternfly is a notorious hitchhiking pest that lays its eggs on any hard surface including grills, vehicles, trailers, firewood, outdoor furniture, bikes and toys aiding in its hitchhiking abilities and its ability for populations to seemingly appear out of nowhere.

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As of 2025, Bradford County was being added to the quarantine map. At that time, it seemed to be just an added precaution. There didn’t seem to be hardly any around. Whether it was just by luck, colder northern climates, lower numbers of tree-of-heaven, or the great efforts of the departments to get the information needed out to the public and the public’s great effort helped slow the spread - whatever hypothesis you would like to believe. Unfortunately, they’re here now. Still in smaller numbers but here none-the-less, so now is definitely a crucial time to act while numbers are still low.

We are starting to see numbers show up in areas like Wyalusing, Towanda, and Troy, so be on the lookout. It is very common for them to show up in the higher population areas first, often because of their hitchhiker habits, so if you frequent these locations, it may be beneficial to give your vehicle a quick look-over to make sure you are not bringing any of these little buggers home with you.

Some people may find it off-putting to squish one of these bugs. I’ve heard them described as pretty and unique, but keep in mind, their destructive ability far exceeds their beauty. A single female spotted lanternfly can lay between 30 and 60 eggs per mass, and they typically lay 1 to 2 egg masses in their lifetime. This means one female can lay roughly 30 to 120 eggs. By removing one or two when you see them is essentially removing hundreds.

The easiest way to help decrease the population is to report sightings to PA Department of Ag and associated partners through their new reporting tool at extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly or call 1-888-422-3359. Other ways to help include: any efforts you make in destroying the Spotted Lanternfly or its egg masses to help reduce local populations, removal of Tree-of-Heaven host trees, and pesticide applications in some instances. The Penn State Extension website listed above along with USDA APHIS, DCNR, US Fish and Wildlife, pawilds.com, the Commonwealth’s main page at pa.gov, and more, all have really good information on identifying and managing this pest.
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The Bradford County Conservation District is committed to helping people manage resources wisely. You can visit the Bradford County Conservation District at 200 Lake Rd in Wysox across from the Wysox Fire Hall. Contact us at (570) 485-3144 or visit our web page at www.bccdpa.com.