The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is a planthopper, not a fly or a moth. It's native to China and parts of Asia. In the United States, it was first found in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in 2014, and it was likely carried in on a shipment of stone.

It reached Virginia in 2018, when it was found in Winchester, according to Virginia Tech. Since then, it has spread to more than half of Virginia's counties and independent cities, according to VDACS. Across the country, the USDA reports it in 19 states and Washington, D.C.

Adults can jump and fly short distances, but they don't spread far on their own. They spread mostly by hitchhiking. They lay egg masses on vehicles, trailers, firewood, stone and outdoor equipment, which then get moved to new places.

The spotted lanternfly goes through four stages in one year. Each one looks very different, so it helps to know them all:

• Egg masses (September to May): about 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, each holding 30 to 50 eggs. Fresh egg masses are covered with a shiny gray coating that dries to look like a smear of dried mud. As they age, they turn tan and crack, and you can see rows of seed-like eggs. Look for them on tree bark, stone, fences, outdoor furniture, vehicles, trailers and firewood, even on branches as thin as a pencil.

• Young nymphs (late April to July): black with bright white spots, about 1/8 to 1/2 inch long. They look like small black beetles or ticks and hop away quickly when you get close.

• Older nymphs (July to September): bright red with black stripes and white spots, about 1/2 to 5/8 inch long. This is the last stage before adulthood.

• Adults (mid-July until the first hard frost): about 1 inch long and 1 1/2 inches wide with wings open. The front wings are pinkish gray with black spots and a brick-like pattern at the tips. When they open their wings, they flash bright red, black and white hindwings.

In 2026, Virginia saw egg masses hatch as early as late March, so it's worth watching for nymphs in early spring. Adults begin laying eggs in September and keep laying until a hard frost kills them.

• January to March: egg masses. This is the best time to find and destroy them.

• April to June: egg masses hatch, and young black-and-white nymphs appear on new plant growth.

• July: red nymphs appear, and the first adults show up.

• August: adults gather in large numbers, especially on tree of heaven, grapevines and maples.

• September to November: adults mate and lay egg masses until the first hard frost.

• December: adults are gone, and the egg masses wait for spring.

The spotted lanternfly feeds on plant sap with a mouth like a straw. A heavy infestation weakens plants, and it can kill grapevines, tree of heaven and young black walnut trees, according to the National Park Service. As it feeds, it gives off a sticky, sugary liquid called honeydew. Honeydew coats everything below it, including decks, cars, patios and plants, and it grows a black sooty mold that blocks sunlight from the leaves.

It feeds on more than 70 kinds of plants, including grapes, hops, apples, peaches, maples, black walnut, tulip poplar, oaks and willows. Here's what's at stake in Virginia:

• Vineyards: Virginia wine has an economic impact of $8.37 billion and supports more than 49,000 jobs, according to WineAmerica. Grapevines are among the plants hit hardest.

• Forests: forestry is one of Virginia's largest industries, worth about $21 billion and about 108,000 jobs, according to Virginia Tech.

• Farms: in Pennsylvania, where it has been the longest, a Penn State study estimated that if it isn't controlled, it could cost the state up to $324 million a year and about 2,800 jobs.

There's some good news too. After 10 years in Pennsylvania, most mature hardwood trees have handled the feeding better than first feared, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. The biggest damage is to grapevines, young trees and trees already under stress.

You can make a real difference on your own property, and none of these steps uses chemicals:

• Scrape egg masses (fall through spring). Use a plastic card or putty knife to scrape egg masses into a bag or jar filled with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. Seal it and throw it away. Don't scrape them onto the ground, because the eggs can still hatch. Penn State shows how in its egg removal guide. Stay safe and don't climb ladders to reach high egg masses. Pressure washing doesn't kill the eggs.

• Squash nymphs and adults. If you see one, kill it. VDACS asks Virginians to kill any spotted lanternfly they find.

• Use circle traps, not open sticky bands. A circle trap is a screen funnel wrapped around a tree trunk that catches lanternflies as they climb, and it's safe for wildlife. Penn State shows how to build a circle trap. Plain sticky bands catch birds, bats, squirrels and helpful insects. If you use one, cover it with a window-screen cage (not chicken wire) and check it every day.

• Skip the home remedies. Sprays like vinegar, dish soap or bleach don't work well, and they can damage your plants.

• Welcome natural predators. Birds like cardinals, catbirds, blue jays and titmice eat lanternflies, and so do chickens, praying mantises, spiders, wheel bugs and spined soldier bugs. Birds eat more of them once tree of heaven is gone, because lanternflies that feed on it taste bitter, according to Audubon.

• Check before you move. Before you leave an area with lanternflies, check your car, trailer, firewood, stone, outdoor furniture and equipment for egg masses and insects.

Scientists at the USDA are also studying native fungi that naturally infect and kill spotted lanternflies, which may become another chemical-free tool in the future.

Tree of heaven is an invasive tree from China, and it's the spotted lanternfly's favorite food. Lanternflies are drawn to it in huge numbers, especially in late summer. It grows fast along roadsides, fence lines, field edges and woods, and it's common across Northern Virginia.

Removing it is one of the most useful things you can do. It won't get rid of lanternflies completely, because they feed on many other plants, but it takes away the tree they rely on most.

Tree of heaven is the one exception. Cutting it alone makes it come back worse. It sends up dozens of new sprouts from its roots, sometimes 50 feet or more from the original tree, so a targeted herbicide treatment is about the only way to kill it for good. The most targeted option is hack-and-squirt, sometimes called a frill application: a few small cuts are made around the trunk and a small amount of herbicide goes right into the cuts, so nothing is sprayed into the air or onto the plants around it. It works best in mid to late summer, about a month before the trees come down. We can point you to a licensed applicator for this step, and then we come in and clear. If you'd rather clear now, at any time of year, we can, and the regrowth can be treated the next summer.

Want to learn more? Our Invasive Species Removal page explains how we clear tree of heaven and other invasive plants, and our Forestry Mulching page explains our main clearing method.

We don't use or recommend insecticides. Our approach is chemical-free, because we want to protect your soil, your water, and the bees, butterflies and birds on your land.

If you're thinking about insecticides, especially for vineyards, orchards or valuable landscape trees, talk with your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office or a licensed pesticide applicator first. Many insecticides also harm bees and other pollinators, so it's important to get advice that fits your property. Virginia Cooperative Extension and Virginia Tech's spotted lanternfly management guide are good places to start.

Invasive species removal is our specialty, and the spotted lanternfly is one of the biggest reasons why. Here's how we help:

• Tree of heaven removal. We clear tree of heaven and the invasive thickets around it with forestry mulching, which keeps your native trees standing and your soil covered.

• Chemical-free invasive clearing. We clear autumn olive, Bradford pear, kudzu, multiflora rose and other invasives without herbicides, with the one tree of heaven exception explained above.

• We check our machines and trailers. Before we move between jobs, we check our machines and trailers for egg masses and insects, so we don't carry lanternflies from one property to the next.

• We know what to look for. We see lanternflies on most of our jobs, and we'll point out egg masses and heavily infested trees during your estimate.

We're also proud to be a Friend of the Clifton Institute, a nonprofit in Warrenton whose mission is to save Virginia's native species. On its 900-acre nature preserve, Clifton removes invasive plants like autumn olive and tree of heaven, grows native plants for habitat restoration, and teaches thousands of children and adults about nature every year. Through its Landowner Outreach program, it also gives landowners advice on managing invasive plants and restoring habitat for native wildlife. We support their work with donations and follow it closely, and we encourage you to learn more about them.

As of March 27, 2025, Virginia's spotted lanternfly quarantine has been repealed, according to VDACS. Businesses moving goods within Virginia no longer need a permit. Some nearby states still have quarantines, so check the rules before you haul materials across state lines.

VDACS no longer needs reports from counties and cities where the lanternfly is already established, including Prince William, Fairfax, Loudoun, Stafford, Fauquier, Arlington, Alexandria, Manassas and Culpeper. If you find one somewhere else in Virginia, report it with the VDACS Invasive Species Reporting Tool.

Does the spotted lanternfly bite or sting? No. It doesn't bite or sting people or pets.

Is it harmful to pets? It's not known to be toxic, but eating a lot of them may upset a pet's stomach.

Will it get into my house? No. It doesn't infest homes, though adults may land on walls, doors and windows.

Will removing tree of heaven get rid of lanternflies? Not completely, but it helps. Tree of heaven is the host they rely on most, so removing it means fewer lanternflies, and birds eat more of the ones that are left.

Can spotted lanternflies be wiped out? Not at this point. They're too widespread in Virginia. The goal now is to control them on your property and slow their spread to new areas.

Our home base is Woodbridge, in Prince William County. We work throughout Prince William, Fairfax, Loudoun, Stafford and Fauquier counties, and across the rest of Virginia, including the Eastern Shore.

Call 540-408-2114 (7 AM to 7 PM, seven days a week) or use our contact form for a free on-site estimate.