The War on Spotted Lanternflies: Getting rid of the elusive nuisances
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - In the past week, we've heard story after story about people being dive-bombed by spotted lanternflies.
Whether it's at a Pirates game at PNC Park, businesses, or even in our homes, they are clinging to walls and crawling around doors.
In a word - it's aggravating.
Sitting or crawling, they're ready to launch in an instant and they're elusive as well as fast.
"The first-string method is to use mechanical methods - swatting them or stomping them," That's the advice from Penn State Extension's lantern fly expert Emelie Swackhammer.
They're so fast that you may miss them and there are a lot of them.
"You can suck them up into a vacuum cleaner and then just leave them sit for a couple of days and they'll die in there," she said. "Then you can just dispose of them."
While they're harmless to us, they can hurt vegetation and they're a nuisance.
"I've talked to people that really couldn't sit down and enjoy their outdoor area because of it," Swackhammer recalled.
The internet is full of home remedies that Swackhammer doesn't like and that includes spraying them with vinegar because that can harm your plants.
"Vinegar has herbicide properties, but it's not labeled for use that way so it's really not a good idea," she said.
There's also putting out a bowl of dish soap and water but that might not be the best idea.
"You'll kill fewer lanternflies than if you'd spend the same amount of time out in your landscape with a flyswatter," Swackhammer said.
She said if you want to use spray, reach for the least toxic insecticide.
"Use things that are registered insecticides and things like insecticidal soap or horticulture spray oil," she explained.
You could also use a hose to get them off of your wall or plants, but you better be ready with a quick foot.
"Water alone isn't going to kill them, but if you knock them down mechanically, kill them, you know they can work," Swackhammer explained.
Of course, you can always just endure it.
"They will keep coming for a little while but it's about a two or three-week period when the adults have this behavior," she said. "Rest assured, it won't go on forever."
That said, if you do nothing, they will lay their eggs and the problem will be back next year and in even bigger numbers.
However, unlike those pesky stinkbugs, they aren't trying to get into our homes. They do not try to find a spot over the winter to hide out, they lay their eggs and they die.
Penn State Extension has a handy list of things you can buy to spray them with and you can check that out right here.