HUNTINGDON VALLEY, Pa., July 13, 2020 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Adult Spotted Lanternfly will be emerging a few short weeks, and it’s expected to be a record-breaking year for the invasive insect, says Giroud Tree and Lawn. Not only do Spotted Lanternfly pose a risk to the health of trees and plants, they also cause some really gross problems for homeowners.
PHOTO CAPTION: Adult Spotted Lanternfly swarming a Maple Tree.
As the bugs feed on trees, they drip sour-smelling, sticky excrement called “honeydew.” It coats everything underneath where the insects are feeding. The tacky honeydew is difficult to remove from hardscapes, decks, cars, and other valuable objects on the property.
What’s even worse is that the tantalizing honeydew, along with the black, sooty mold that grows from it, attracts stinging wasps. Wasps will swarm a property, and that’s especially a problem if there are children playing in the yard.
Treatments Need to be Carefully Timed
Spotted Lanternfly has only been in the US since 2014, but the insect has multiplied rapidly. To determine the best way to control this new invasive pest, researchers at Penn State and the PA Department of Agriculture recommend a control program that targets the pest during the Adult stage. This stage occurs between July and November.
The Adult stage is when Spotted Lanternfly is most vulnerable to treatment. Adults tend to stay in one place and attack favorite host trees, as opposed to the younger nymphs that quickly hop from plant to plant. As a result, there is much more success in killing the adults when trees are treated at carefully timed intervals.
The first treatment of the 2-part control plan recommended by Penn State should be done between July and September. This is a basal trunk spray that kills the pest on contact. It’s also absorbed up through the tree’s vascular system and kills the bugs as they feed on the tree. The treatment lasts for up to 60 days.
By September through November, the Adults can be found everywhere on the host trees. 1-2 additional sprays are needed on the trunk, limbs and foliage. This spray kills the insect on contact and the residual kills any Spotted Lanternfly that walk over or feed on the tree for up to 30 days.
Like many Tree companies battling Spotted Lanternfly, Giroud Tree and Lawn is seeing a very high interest in the control program this year.
“We’re confident that these treatments will do the job,” says Rodney Stahl, Jr, Giroud’s Plant Healthcare Manager. “The problem is that our schedule is filling up. July is already booked and August is beginning to fill up. Soon, we’ll have more requests for treatments than we can handle. Homeowners, who want to have their trees treated, need to get on a program now before it’s too late.”
Steps Homeowners Should Take Now
- Check for nymphs now on trees, plants, flowers, and any surface in the yard. If these early stage insects are seen, that’s a clear warning sign that the property is at risk once they turn into adults.
- Use sticky bands wrapped in chicken wire to capture any nymphs walking up the tree trunk.
- Call an ISA Certified Arborist to evaluate the property for treating valuable trees and plants when the Spotted Lanternfly Adults emerge.
For more information, visit https://www.giroudtree.com/spotted-lanternfly/
About Giroud Tree and Lawn
Giroud Tree and Lawn specializes in tree service, lawn care and mosquito and tick control programs that make customers love doing business with the company since 1974. Serving Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties, the company offers professional tree and lawn evaluation, tree pruning, tree removal, insect and disease control, fertilizing, stump removal, traditional and 100% organic lawn programs and mosquito and tick control. Giroud Arborists are certified by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and have the knowledge and experience required to properly diagnose, treat and maintain trees and lawn health. The company is Accredited by the Tree Care Industry Association and Better Business Bureau. The “Giroud Treework for Charity” program donates free tree care services to parks, historical sites and other non-profit organizations located in the Company’s service area.
For more information, visit the company website at http://www.giroudtree.com or call 215-682-7704.
News Source: Giroud Tree and Lawn
