With the threat of Spotted Lantern Flies on the rise in our area, Penn State has a recommendation that seems to be working well for our clients and their neighbors. The idea is to apply an insecticide to Tree-of-Heaven plants, which happen to be irresistible food sources for Spotted Lantern Flies. When the insects gorge on this favorite food, they also consume the insecticide and die by the thousands (as shown below).
While Tree-of-Heaven plants are invasive and certainly not recommended additions to any garden, Sean Kramer, Hanselman Landscape’s pest-control specialist, has devised an effective plan to handle both undesirable populations: He cuts down female Tree-of-Heaven plants to reduce the spread of this species, and uses existing male Tree-of-Heaven trees as death traps for Spotted Lantern Flies. Our clients are thrilled with the success of this two-pronged approach, and so are their neighbors!
Contributed by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife