Spotted lanternfly outbreak prompts quarantine in Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — The spotted lanternfly is taking over parts of Ohio.

Franklin County is among 12 counties in the state under quarantine for this non-native invasive insect. According to the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s website, the spotted lanternfly, or SLF, is currently in its adult stage and will remain active until winter.

Ohio State University Extension Educator, Amy Stone, said the insect was first identified in Ohio in 2020. Stone said adults are about one inch long and half an inch wide when at rest.

Watch: Spotted lanternfly outbreak prompts quarantine in Ohio

“When they open their wings, they have this red wing underneath and part of their body is bright yellow,” Stone said. “So, they’re just very flashy and very obvious to look at.”

Stone said the SLF is not a strong flyer. She said it will often climb to a destination that’s high and jump or glide off.

The SLF is raising a number of concerns in central Ohio. Stone said it excretes a honeydew substance, making it a nuisance for homeowners.

“That honeydew is a sticky substance,” Stone said. “It has sugars in it. And so, everything kind of gets sticky underneath. Then a black, sooty mold can come in, and it’s also attractive to wasps and hornets.”

Stone said the SLF is also a plant stressor.

“It feeds on grapevine,” Stone said. “So, it’s a threat to the vineyards, it feeds on hops. It also likes apples and maple trees and so although, kind of in our urban landscapes, it’s often more of a nuisance, it is a threat to some producers.”

This, in turn, affects the state’s economy.

“Those producers are going to be treating those areas when spotted lanternfly arrive,” Stone said. “So, that’s going to be another input into the price of that commodity.”

The SLF does not have native predators which is contributing to its rapid population in central Ohio. Stone said some predators like praying mantis and birds will eat them, but not in numbers high enough to keep the population in check.

According to Stone, the extreme drought central Ohio is dealing with is not helping with the infestation.

“If you’ve got insects that are feeding, stressing that plant, and they’re also stressed because of the drought, is that going to put some plants over the edge?,” Stone said.

And SLF’s are known to be hitchhikers.

“We’re encouraging people once they get into an area that’s highly infested and they’re leaving to go outside of that area, run their car through a car wash so they’re not spreading the insect wherever their travels may lead them,” Stone said.

Stone said adults start laying eggs between around the end of September to the beginning of October.

“It’s another thing to be on the lookout for,” Stone said. “You can scrape and remove those egg masses as they’re being produced.”

The SLF does not bite or sting pets or people. Stone encourages anyone who finds one to stomp on it in an effort to reduce its population.

If you find one outside a quarantine county in particular, the Ohio Department of Agriculture asks that you take a picture and report the finding to the ODA Plant Pest Control using the Ohio Plant Pest Reporter.

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