Spotted Lanternfly

Professional Spotted Lanternfly Control Services

The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is an exotic pest that’s native to Northern China. It has two pairs of wings but tends to jump more than it flies. It feeds on a wide range of growing plants and is usually spread through the transportation of infested materials containing egg masses.  This invasive species has recently been found, and become a widespread problem, in the New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Eastern Shore of Maryland area.  Feeding as large groups, spotted lanternflies are known to greatly weaken trees and plants.

At Viking Pest Control, we help you with all aspects of spotted lanternfly control. Our spotted lanternfly exterminators use approved methods of pest identification and treatment to protect your outdoor space from this invasive species.

What Are Spotted Lanternflies?

Spotted lanternflies can be easily identified in all stages of their life cycle.  Adult spotted lanternflies are winged insects about 1-inch long and half an inch wide. The forewings are grey with small black spots, while the hind wings have contrasting black and red patches with a white band. Immature spotted lanternflies are a quarter-inch in length with white spots and black wings and look like ticks. Spotted lanternflies typically don’t sting or bite humans, and don’t get indoors, but they can cause extensive damage to your business’s outdoor environment.

When Are Spotted Lanternflies Active in NJ, PA, MD, DE?

In New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania, overwintering eggs hatch around May and an infestation can follow over the next months. It is recommended to proactively protect your outdoor space from spotted lanternflies.  Viking Pest Control offers Basal Tree spraying in late Summer through Fall to prevent this invasive pest from infesting trees.  We also offer knockdown treatments that can be applied to most outdoor elements including greenery such as trees and bushes, and manmade surfaces.  Liquid treatment is available during July, August, and September once trees have completely bloomed.

How to Identify Spotted Lanternfly Damage

The spotted lanternfly is an invasive species that was discovered in the U.S for the first time in Pennsylvania in 2014. As an agricultural pest, it’s known to cause damage to grapevines, fruit trees, ornamental plants, and more than 70 woody plant species.

Usually, these pests like to congregate in massive populations on tree trunks and branches to such the sap from the phloem. Some of the common signs of spotted lanternfly damage include foliage wilting, branch dieback, sap oozing on tree trunks, and mortality of young trees and vines. Spotted Lanternflies are especially destructive to businesses that depend on growing plants such as wineries and breweries but can cause costly damage to any business with outdoor elements.

When spotted lanternflies feed, they leave a sticky substance called honeydew. The honeydew can attract other spotted lanternflies and pests such as ants and bees. It can also cause the growth of black sooty mold on trees.

How to Control Spotted Lanternflies

Viking Pest provides treatments for Spotted Lanternflies at businesses in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Viking’s spotted lanternfly treatment is specifically formulated not to harm non-target wildlife. Please contact us for more information about our spotted lanternfly service plan to see what is available in your area.

How Do You Protect Your Home From Spotted Lanternflies?

Viking offers a commercial spotted lanternfly service plan which consists of two different methods for businesses in NJ, PA, DE, and MD. The first is a knockdown service which consists of a monthly application of an EPA-approved material to trees and manmade surfaces for quick and efficient population reduction. The second is a basal tree treatment performed once per year to kill spotted lanternflies when they feed. These services are skillfully applied by highly trained and licensed pest management professionals to maximize effectiveness while minimizing risk to the environment.

What is Basal Trunk Spray?

Basal trunk spraying is a powerful and effective means of exterminating spotted lanternflies. Around the beginning of July, after the trees have completed their flowering, Viking technicians apply a specially formulated treatment to the base of trees. The product is then absorbed into the tree and is ingested by the spotted lanternfly when it feeds.

Reliable Spotted Lanternfly Control Services in NJ, PA, MD, DE

At Viking Pest Control, we’re equipped and ready to solve your spotted lanternfly concerns.  Our local certified technicians have the skills to control spotted lanternfly populations for your business. Give us a call today at 800-618-2847 for a free, no-obligation, site evaluation, or fill out our form to get in contact with one of our commercial account specialists.