Using insecticides and household chemicals as a contact method of control can be unsafe to humans, animals, and insect life, particularly in heavy doses or through constant re-applications. If no action is taken, most native trees and shrubs will likely suffer damage that could be severe and even lead to death.įor those trying to kill the SLF on contact or on building surfaces, please read the product labels for proper usage and safety. These treatments are being advocated as the only successful and long-term method of treatment for your trees due to SLF. Trees that are deciduous (just producing foliage) can be treated with other insecticides that can last up to 2 years within the tree’s vascular system. Waiting for your flowering tree to complete its bloom time is recommended to protect your tree for the duration of that growing season. Trees that are high attractants to pollinating insects (flowering trees) can only be treated with specific insecticides and at specific times during the growing season to prevent those beneficial insects from also being killed. These applications can last from 4 months up to 2 years depending on the active ingredient in the insecticide. There are different types of systemic treatments based on whether you have a flowering or foliage/shade tree. A pricing schedule and a list of approved tree surgeons will be available on the City’s website. We can recommend licensed and insured local tree services that provide these treatments. It is recommended that residents systemically treat those trees that have value and/or are a high attractant to the SLF. The link below provides help in identifying the Tree of Heaven. If the tree is removed, the stump needs to be treated with an herbicide or else the root system could put out new sprouts. Residents are encouraged to be vigilant in the removal of Tree of Heaven on private property. Compared to the common use of broadcast/aerial treatments for black flies, the spotted lanternfly is a completely different type of insect that may not respond to broadcast treatment. The City frequently receives questions from residents asking why the state does not spray for SLF like it does to treat black flies. There is also no recommended method from the USDA or Penn State to treat them in naturalized areas. These trees are under warranty and the grant programs require us to maintain and care for them for various periods of time after planting, typically between 1-3 years.īecause SLF is currently a regional issue, there is no federal funding available, and the City does not have the funding or capability to treat the vast number of trees and plants in the city. The City of Easton’s current policy on treating for the spotted lanternfly is to treat street trees that were purchased and planted through grant-funded projects since 2017. This cycle will slowly weaken a tree and cause its immune system to send out chemical distress signals into the environment, alerting additional insects of its vulnerability and causing diseases the tree would have otherwise have been able to ward off. It can also cover a tree’s leaves, preventing the tree and other nearby plants from processing sunlight through photosynthesis. This mold can blacken all surfaces under an infested tree. SLFs excrete a waste product called honeydew, a substance that is high in sugar, which when excreted onto any surface will start to grow a black, sooty mold. The SLF does not bite or sting and they do not feed on any building materials, but they will swarm in large groups on structures, telephone poles, cars, etc. If the Tree of Heaven is located in and around your home, most likely the concentrations of the SLF will be much higher. The preferred food source for the SLF is Tree of Heaven (Ailanthusaltissima), which is also invasive and non-native. They feed on over 70+ species, including important forestry and agricultural crops. SLFs feed on the sap of plants and trees and, when there are high populations of them, they can cause significant damage. It has since spread throughout 13 counties in southeastern Pennsylvania, which the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has designated as a spotted lanternfly quarantine zone. It was first discovered in the United States in Berks County, PA in 2014. It is native to certain parts of Southeast Asia. The spotted lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive planthopper (a type of insect) in the U.S.
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