Cleveland, Ohio Local News
Spotted lanternfly in Ohio: What to do if you see one
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[Watch previous FOX 8 News coverage in the player above.]
CLEVELAND (WJW) — The spotted lanternfly nymph seen by a FOX 8 News reporter Thursday in downtown Cleveland is a reminder that the invasive and damaging pests are here to stay in Ohio.
If you see one, the U.S. Department of Agriculture wants you to kill it.
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JERSEY CITY, NJ – SEPTEMBER 22: The sun rises behind the skyline of midtown Manhattan in New York City as a spotted lanterfly walks on a wall on September 22, 2023 in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images) -
JERSEY CITY, NJ – AUGUST 26: A spotted lanternfly stands on a railing next to the Hudson River on August 26, 2023, in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images) -
Spotted lanternfly nymphs cling to a porcelain berry vine in Towson. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) -
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 26: Dead spotted lanternflies perch on a tree at Inwood Hill Park on September 26, 2022 in New York City. Spotted lanternflies, an insect native to Southeast Asia that scientists say arrived in the U.S. seven years ago and in New York City in 2020, feed on the sap of more than 70 plant species, leaving them susceptible to disease and destruction from other pests. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
The invasive planthoppers hail from Asia, and were first discovered in Ohio in 2020, according to the Ohio Department of Agriculture. They feed on plants, causing them to wilt and leaving them more susceptible to disease. They also produce a sugary liquid that isn’t just unsightly — it can also spread a plant-choking fungus that can ruin harvests.
If left unchecked, they pose a real risk to the nation’s grape, orchard and logging industries, according to the USDA.
Cuyahoga, Erie, Lorain and several other Ohio counties were quarantined in 2021 to slow the spread of the bug. Anyone living in those counties needs to take extra care when moving firewood, branches or outdoor items out of the county. They can’t fly very far on their own, but can move long distances quickly by hitchhiking.
Their egg masses, typically laid in fall, can be found on flat surfaces including tree trunks, fences, rocks or cars. They’re light gray and “covered by a mud-like substance,” according to ODNR. They should be crushed flatly and scraped away into a container of hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol to ensure the eggs die.
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A spotted lanternfly egg mass is seen on a tree in Indiana. (Photo provided by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources) -
Close-up of Spotted Lanternfly egg mass, Berks County, Pennsylvania -
Spotted Lanternfly (lycorma delicatula) eggs on tree. -
Spotted Lanternfly (lycorma delicatula) infestations have caused Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture to issue a quarantine invasive insect
But first, take a photo of them and report their location to the agriculture department’s Plant Pest Control Section at 614-728-6400, plantpest@agri.ohio.gov or via the Great Lakes Early Detection Network mobile app.
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Justin Dennis
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