State Provides Update on Spotted Lanternfly

Representatives from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (AGM), Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and Cornell University’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program have provided an update on Spotted Lanternfly (SLF). Broadcasting live on Facebook and Instagram to viewers across New York, State officials and Cornell experts shared tips with residents on how to combat SLF on their properties and how to avoid transporting SLF while traveling, as well as information on the SLF’s life cycle and what to expect for the rest of this summer and through the fall and winter seasons. AGM experts additionally highlighted the agency’s SLF control and management measures and its use of drone technology to enhance efforts to survey for SLF

Six horticultural inspectors for the Department of Agriculture and Markets completed over 40 hours of training and took an exam to become Certified Remote Pilots with the Federal Aviation Administration. The Department’s drones act as an extension of the inspector, enhancing their ability to detect invasive plants and pest species, like SLF, in confined or difficult to reach spaces like high in trees or on top of railway cars and semi-trucks. Drones additionally support good biosecurity practices during inspection as they allow the inspector to remain distant from invasive species and reduce the potential of inadvertently transporting them to the next inspection location.

Each drone is fitted with seven 4k 360-180-degree cameras with 4X zoom that can detect obstacles up to half an inch in diameter and avoid them autonomously from distances of four inches to four feet away. Drones can take 2D and 3D images of objects, structures, and spaces and use the data to create maps; orbit fixed points to scan for signs of invasive species; and follow inspectors as they survey, giving an eagle-eye view of the inspection area to help pinpoint plants and pests that need a closer look.

Since the first detection of SLF in New York on Staten Island in 2020, AGM, DEC, and IPM have been working closely with partners statewide and nationally, such as the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Department of Transportation, Thruway Authority, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Cornell Cooperative Extension network to slow the spread of this invasive insect. SLF has since been reported in all New York City boroughs, Long Island, and several areas in Upstate New York, including most recently a detection in the Finger Lakes region. The State’s work focuses on slowing the spread of SLF and protecting vulnerable areas, such as vineyards and apple orchards, where SLF could inflict damage on New York’s agricultural and agritourism industries.

AGM encourages farmers, producers, and residents to follow the steps below to help stop the spread of SLF:

People living in the following counties do not need to report Spotted Lanternfly sightings or collect samples at this time:

• • Dutchess
  • Nassau
  • New York City counties
  • Orange
  • Putnam
  • Rockland
  • Suffolk – except for North Fork
  • Sullivan
  • Ulster
  • Westchester
• If you see a Spotted Lanternfly in the counties listed above, kill it immediately by stepping on it or crushing it.
• If you live outside of the counties listed above, you can help 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 at agriculture.ny.gov/reportSLF.
• 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.

The Department is also urging residents and visitors traveling across the state this summer to thoroughly inspect vehicles, luggage and gear, and all outdoor items for SLF. If SLF adults are found, travelers should report and destroy them following the steps above.

Residents can use at-home control methods to help manage SLF on their properties. Examples include:

• Traps: Sticky band traps encircling the trunk can be effective, but they must be accompanied by a barrier, such as a wire mesh or screen, to prevent unintended capture of beneficial insects and animals, such as birds.

• Circle traps: Circle traps consist of screening that encircles the trunk of a tree, which funnels climbing SLF into a container at the top from which they cannot escape. Watch a video on how to build a circle trap here: extension.psu.edu/how-to-build-a-spotted-lanternfly-circle-trap.
• Insecticides: Since SLF rarely cause damage to landscape trees, treatment is not necessary for the health of the tree; but if they become a nuisance, insecticides can be used. Residents may choose to hire a certified applicator who is equipped to use methods such as tree injection, bark sprays, or soil drenches.
• Vacuum removal: Hand-held, backpack style rechargeables and even big shop vacuums all can be useful in managing SLF.

For more information and photos on these control methods, please visit the Cornell IPM website at: cals.cornell.edu/new-york-state-integrated-pest-management/outreach-education/whats-bugging-you/spotted-lanternfly/spotted-lanternfly-management#biocontrol

Identifying SLF

SLF is a destructive pest that feeds 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. It is currently in the nymph stage, with black bodies and white spots, and, as it matures, will turn red with white spots. SLF will enter the adult stage throughout August. Adult SLF are easy to identify and are approximately one inch long and half an inch wide at rest, with eye-catching wings. Photos of both the nymph and adult phases can be seen here.

Adults are active from July to December and begin laying eggs in September. Signs of an SLF infestation may include:

• One-inch-long egg masses that are brownish-gray, waxy and mud-like when new. Old egg masses are brown and scaly.
• Massive honeydew build-up under plants, sometimes with black sooty mold developing.

While these insects can jump and fly short distances, they spread primarily through human activity. SLF can lay their eggs on any number of surfaces, such as vehicles, stone, rusty metal, outdoor furniture, and firewood. Adult SLF can hitch rides in vehicles, on any outdoor item, or cling to clothing or hats, and be easily transported into and throughout New York, so residents are asked to be vigilant.

SLF Impacts to New York Agriculture

SLF feeding can stress plants, making them vulnerable to disease and attacks from other insects. SLF also excretes large amounts of sticky “honeydew,” which attracts sooty molds that interfere with plant photosynthesis, negatively affecting the growth and fruit yield of plants and negatively impacting agriculture and forest health.

The estimated total economic impact of invasive insects in the United States exceeds $70 billion per year, and if not contained, SLF could have an impact to New York State of at least $300 million annually, mainly to the grape and wine industry, which ranks third in the country in production. SLF also has the potential to significantly hinder quality of life and recreational activities due to the honeydew and the swarms of insects it attracts.

Learn more on AGM’s website at agriculture.ny.gov/spottedlanternfly.

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