Experts have been saying it wasn’t a matter of IF Spotted Lanternfly would start to get established in the Finger Lakes, but rather WHEN.
After receiving a call from a resident, an inspector from the state Department of Ag and Markets confirmed small numbers of spotted lanternfly nymphs on land in Romulus. The inspector said the nymphs’ presence indicates they very likely hatched in the area this spring and are likely here to stay.
The discovery is of great concern to the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets as Spotted Lanternfly is known to feed on more than 100 plant species, including tree-of-heaven, and plants and crops that are critical to New York’s agricultural economy, such as grapevine, apple trees, and hops.
Since the first detection of Spotted Lanternfly in New York on Staten Island in 2020, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets has been working closely with its partners statewide to slow the spread of this invasive insect. It has since been reported in all New York City boroughs, Long Island, and several areas in Upstate New York; however, this is the first detection in proximity to commercial vineyards in the Finger Lakes.
The Department is currently working with Cornell Integrated Pest Management and Hans Walter-Peterson to conduct a thorough survey of the vineyards in the surrounding area to better understand the extent of the established population of SLF. They expect to know more in the coming days and, in the meantime, will also be working to coordinate with the New York Wine and Grape Foundation and Cornell IPM an in-person informational meeting with all grape growers as soon as possible.
Residents are encouraged to report any sightings on their properties to the Department by reporting SLF immediately after it is found. Follow these steps:
- Take a photo
- Collect a sample and place it in a freezer or in a jar with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer
- Contact the SLF responders and report SLF directly at this link: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/a08d60f6522043f5bd04229e00acdd63
- After you have reported SLF in your area and collected a sample, you should kill any additional SLF you see by stepping on it or crushing it.
Brian Eshenaur of the Integrated Pest Management Program also offers growers some guidance on what they can and/or should be doing at this point.
- Don’t freak out. We’ve known this pest was coming and would eventually show up here, so while it isn’t welcome news, this isn’t a surprise. Thanks to the experiences and hard work of our friends in Pennsylvania, we are much better prepared to respond to the arrival of SLF. When a new population is found in area, especially a smaller one as this appears to be right now, it takes a year or two for the numbers to build to a point where they become a concern. At this point, we don’t anticipate that SLF will have a real impact on any vineyards this year.
- Be more active in scouting for Tree of Heaven if you haven’t done so already. Start scouting treelines around vineyard blocks to identify any Tree of Heaven (TOH). While SLF can feed on many different plants, they have a special relationship with TOH. It’s likely the first plant on which you will find SLF, and females can produce more offspring if they feed on TOH than if they don’t.
- Scouting vineyards in September and October for SLF is especially important, as this is when the spotted lanternfly adults move into vineyards from surrounding trees. Females will also be laying eggs on just about anything they find at that time.
- If you find SLF nymphs (now) or adults (starting sometime in August), be sure to report them using the SLF Reporting Form, or contact Hans Walter-Peterson (315-521-8789) and I will help you to get the information to IPM or Ag & Markets.
Resources about how to identify different SLF life stages or Tree of Heaven (which can easily be mistaken for sumac or black walnut) can be found at the NYS IPM website about SLF at https://cals.cornell.edu/new-york-state-integrated-pest-management/outreach-education/whats-bugging-you/spotted-lanternfly.
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