Don’t get fooled by less Lanternflies in NJ: What to look out for

What a difference a year makes. In 2022, New Jersey was completely infested by this little pest known as the Spotted Lanternfly.

Fast forward to 2023, and some of us may have hardly noticed them. Yes, they're still showing up in some new areas, but by and large, their sightings have been much smaller than expected (Check out Dino Flammia's 2023 report here).

More good news is that it appears that damage to our trees and vegetation was also less than expected. All positive trends for those of us in New Jersey.

With that said, they were still present and may still pose a danger to New Jersey's crops and vegetation. It's for this reason that we should still be alert and keep our eyes open if we see them.

How do we know that? All we have to do is look at the damage the Spotted Lanternfly has already caused since it became a problem in the United States.

Fortunately, the bothersome little pests are nothing more than that to humans. Annoying, clumsy insects that don't harm people directly in any way.

The egg masses, however, are a different story, and we should try not to risk a future infestation from happening. As mentioned earlier, New Jersey thus far has been fairly lucky escaping damage at levels experienced in other parts of the country.

Anything could change in the future, so it's still important to destroy those egg masses if you see them. Here's how to identify them, along with how to identify their preferred tree of choice, the Tree of Heaven.

Remember, the spotted lanternfly lays its eggs in the fall, so now is the time we'll start seeing those masses as the weather gets cooler.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 Sunday morning host Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.