NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) – The season is starting to change, and so too are the behaviors of New York City’s most hatable summer pest: the spotted lanternfly.
It’s mating season for lanternflies in the city, meaning New Yorkers may see big clusters of the black and red spotted bugs collected on trees and other tall surfaces.
Soon, the adult females will start laying eggs. A single adult female can lay hundreds of eggs in the fall, which will hatch in May and June, according to Jacob Leeser, an extension aide with New York State Integrated Pest Management.
That means now is a great time to ramp up lanternfly hunting.
“At this point, it may be better to catch the adults before they’ve had time to lay eggs… which does make it a very good time,” said Leeser.
So what’s the best way to bust the bugs? Stomping works, but it’s not the most efficient method, Leeser said.
Instead, Leeser suggested using a vacuum to gobble up groups of lanternflies collected on trees or other surfaces, then waiting around 48 hours for them to die before emptying the vacuum into the trash.
Using a water bottle to snatch the bugs off trees will work the same way, as long as you tightly seal the bottle until the bugs die.
Whatever the method, it’s important the process doesn’t create more environmental harm than the bugs themselves, Leeser said.
"Keep an eye out," he said.
What do lanternfly eggs look like?
After mating comes egg laying, and soon New York City will enter a new phase of lanternfly mitigation.
Starting next week, New Yorkers may see egg masses on trees, rocks and other hard surfaces. The masses are small clusters of around 30-40 eggs arranged in rows and covered in a putty-like substance. At first, the egg masses will look light grey and glossy, but the color will fade and the surface will crack throughout the winter.
“You should definitely be scouting for it,” Leeser said. “It really does blend in with tree bark… [it] may just seem like a little spot of mud.”
Dee Dee Kerscher of Temple, a master gardener, scrapes spotted lanternfly egg masses from a tree at the Berks County Agriculture Center. (Photo By MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images)Once temperatures drop below about 30 degrees, it’s time to aim your efforts at the egg masses.
How to get rid of lanternfly eggs
The best way to handle an egg mass is by using a credit card to scrape it into a bag, then using a substance to kill the eggs, like horticultural oil or hand sanitizer. In the absence of a substance, make sure the bag is tightly sealed before tossing it out.
The remaining eggs will hatch around May and June and emerge as adults next July. This year, New Yorkers started noticing the adults a little earlier than usual thanks to hotter temps, Leeser said.
“Everything was a little early this year… because we did have some warmer days,” Leeser said.
The work of brave lanternfly stompers in New York City is particularly important, Leeser said. He encouraged locals to become familiar with their environments and pay close attention to changes so they can help identify invasive species early. If you see something that looks like it shouldn’t be there, report it to New York State Integrated Pest Management.
“New York City is the entry point for a lot of new invasions… in the region,” Leeser said. “Citizen scientists are truly the best tool we have.”
Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter from Los Angeles who has covered New York City since 2023. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here.
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