By now you hopefully know that you’re supposed to kill a spotted lanternfly if you see one: They're an invasive species that can cause harm to our environment.

But do you know what their eggs look like in order to take care of them as well? If not, you've come to the right place!

Fall is the time of year that the lanternflies will start to lay their eggs, mostly on flat surfaces, so keep an eye out for masses on trees, branches, or rocks. The pests will lay up to 30 to 50 eggs at a time.

Invasion of the Lanternflies
AP Photo
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While the adult lanternflies aren't likely to survive the cold winter (especially with the winter it looks like N.J. is about to have), the eggs can survive the freezing weather. So it's important to take care of them now before they have the chance to hatch in the spring.

Recently the Howell Township Tree Shade Commission posted this photo to warn New Jerseyans of what to look out for. Check out what an egg mass looks like:

Howell Township Shade Tree Commission via Facebook
Howell Township Shade Tree Commission via Facebook
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The simplest way to get rid of the eggs requires only three things: some sort of sturdy card for scraping, a plastic bag, and some alcohol (or hand sanitizer if you're willing to sacrifice it).

Use the card to scrape the egg mass into the bag, then pour in the alcohol. Seal the bag shut and just be sure that the alcohol covers the entire mass.

You can watch a quick tutorial here

Voila! Just like that, you've done your civic duty of killing future lanternflies.

Thank you for your service.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Kylie Moore. Any opinions expressed are Kylie's own. You can follow Kylie on Instagram.

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