GREENFIELD — The Conservation Commission is advising community members to be on the lookout for spotted lanternflies and crush any eggs they may find.
Conservation Agent Jessica Siegel told the commission on Tuesday that, according to the state Department of Agricultural Resources, the invasive insect has reached Greenfield. Elsewhere in Franklin County, the insect had previously been found in Sunderland.
“I don’t know where they were spotted, but the Department of Agricultural Resources recently confirmed an infestation of spotted lanternfly,” Siegel said.
The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is native to parts of China and Vietnam, and was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014. It first reached Massachusetts in 2021, when it was found in Fitchburg, and has slowly spread.
“The spotted lanternfly is a pest that attacks the tree of heaven, grapevines, maple trees, hop vines and many other types of plants,” Siegel explained. “This pest is known to impact grape/wine producers and other agricultural commodities, and can also interfere with outdoor recreation if infestations reach high levels due to the swarming behavior of adults in late summer and fall.”
Siegel said the insects do not bite or sting, but they are still a nuisance when they swarm.
“They are a nuisance because they gather in large numbers and areas where people are, and they cover everything they are on with a sticky, sugary waste product known as honeydew,” Siegel said. According to MDAR, honeydew is difficult to wash off and can attract stinging insects, as well as promote the growth of fungi.
Siegel said MDAR surveyors will be visiting Greenfield to determine the extent of the infestation. People are encouraged to report any sightings of the spotted lanternflies either to her at 413-772-1548, ext. 3 or directly to MDAR at massnrc.org/pests/slfreport.aspx.
“They’re working to slow the spread, but based on what other states have been through, they don’t believe they can be eradicated,” Siegel said. “They just recommend everyone take the time to educate themselves about it and what it looks like.”
The spotted lanternfly goes through one life cycle per season. They hatch in the spring as tiny wingless insects that are black with white spots. During the summer, they evolve into red, wingless insects with black and white spots. Then in late summer/early fall, they develop wings, and at full maturity, they exhibit bright red wings with black spots.
Eggs appear as flat gray masses that can look like dry, cracked mud. MDAR advises people who see eggs to remove and crush them to prevent the spread.
“The problem is that the egg masses are very difficult to distinguish from tree bark,” Conservation Commission Chair Elizabeth Garofalo said. “Scraping and squishing egg masses is what is most recommended.”
Garofalo said the spotted lanternfly prefers to lay its eggs on the tree of heaven, but the insect has also been known to lay eggs on trains or in the wheel wells of vehicles, allowing them to hitchhike and spread farther.
“They will lay their eggs on anything,” Garofalo said.
To kill the adult insects, MDAR recommends setting circle traps or sticky bands on trees, or vacuuming the bugs and leaving them in the canister for at least 24 hours, or until dead. For heavy infestations, MDAR advises that chemical pesticides can be used.
For more information on the spotted lanternfly, visit mass.gov/slf.
