Protect your trees!
To the Community,
As many people have recently noted on the Nextdoor social networking platform, now is the time for homeowners to protect their trees from the invasive spotted lanternfly (SLF). From egg cases that were dormant over the winter, distinctive nymphs are emerging — small, black, with a random pattern of white spots covering their bodies. In a later stage, the nymphs become mostly red and black. Nymphs cannot fly, they crawl (and they can jump!), and will travel up and down the trunks of the trees. They feed by sucking out the sap of the tree, weakening it, and over time potentially killing it. They deposit a sticky substance called honeydew, which fosters the growth of a black mold, harmless to us, but damaging to many plants.
A good, inexpensive deterrent is a three- or four-inch-wide girdle of flypaper wrapped around the trunk of your tree(s). Hold the flypaper in place with two or three push pins along the top edge, and use as many push pins as you need to keep the flypaper snug along the bottom edge. As the nymphs crawl up and down the trunk, they will become trapped. You can also use duct tape, adhesive side out, but it loses its adhesion fairly quickly with exposure to weather. (If you’re concerned about flypaper catching bats and other beneficial creatures, use fairly narrow strips (several inches wide) or put chicken wire over the flypaper. Don’t use it on bushes, only on trees, and keep it within four feet of the ground.
A large section of southeastern Pennsylvania, including Delaware County, is under quarantine for spotted lanternfly. This means firewood should not be transported, and vehicles should be inspected for egg cases. You may naturally hate to kill any creature, but consider making an exception in this case. If you are interested, lots of images and information are readily available online.
David Page
Swarthmore Tree Committee
