What spotted lanternflies do to your property
- Create a nuisance: Spotted lanternflies feed in large groups on trees and plants. They will land on buildings, outdoor furniture, and other surfaces, making outdoor spaces unpleasant.
- Excrete honeydew: When feeding, spotted lanternflies secrete a significant amount of sticky honeydew. It can cover outdoor furniture, cars, decks, and other surfaces.
- Promote sooty mold: The honeydew serves as a growth medium for black sooty mold, a fungus that can grow on plant leaves and other surfaces.
- Attract other pests: The fermenting honeydew attracts other nuisance pests, such as bees, wasps, and hornets, which can sting.
- Cause plant damage: While they do not cause structural damage to your home, they can harm certain plants and trees. They are a particular threat to vineyards, and they can weaken certain tree species, especially the invasive Tree of Heaven.
What is the Spotted Lanternfly?
The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is an invasive insect native to Asia that was first found in Pennsylvania in 2014 and has since spread across multiple U.S. states. Adult lanternflies are about an inch long with gray forewings marked by black spots and striking red-and-black hindwings that show when they fly, while the nymphs are black with white spots and later develop red patches. Although they don’t bite or sting, they cause serious damage by feeding on the sap of more than 70 plants, including grapevines, fruit trees, hardwoods, and ornamentals.
This weakens plants, increases their vulnerability to disease, and produces a sticky substance called honeydew that fosters mold growth and attracts other insects. The insects spread mainly by hitchhiking, as they lay egg masses on trees, vehicles, firewood, and outdoor equipment, which allows them to move into new areas. Control measures include scraping off egg masses, killing visible nymphs and adults, using sticky traps on trees, and in some cases applying insecticides, while many states have implemented quarantine rules to limit their spread.
Why Gutters Are a Breeding Ground for Other Insects
The presence of spotted lanternflies on nearby trees can create conditions that attract other insects to your gutters. If your gutters are already clogged with leaves and twigs, standing water and debris can ferment. The honeydew and sooty mold can also contribute to this messy environment, creating an attractive breeding ground for other pests like drain flies, wasps, and other insects that thrive on decaying matter.
How to Manage the Lanternfly Problem at Home
Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to reduce the damage these pests can have on your home. Here are four ways to curb the effects of this nuisance bug and keep your gutters running smoothly.
- Keep gutters clear: Regularly cleaning your gutters to remove leaves, twigs, and other debris will help prevent the conditions that lead to further insect infestations. Gutter guards can also help keep leaves and other large debris out.
- Scrape egg masses: During the fall and winter, scrape off any egg masses from trees, outdoor furniture, or other surfaces and dispose of them in rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer.
- Remove host trees: Spotted lanternflies feed heavily on the invasive Tree of Heaven. Removing these trees from your property can help reduce the population.
- Consider professional help: If you have a severe infestation or want to reduce the population on your property, a pest control professional can use targeted insecticides to manage the issue.
Other Ways The Spotted LanternFly Is Being Managed
While completely eradicating the spotted lanternfly in the U.S. isn’t realistic anymore, there are several strategies being used to curb its spread and reduce damage:
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Public awareness & reporting: Many states ask residents to kill spotted lanternflies when they see them and to report infestations.
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Destroying egg masses: Scraping egg clusters off surfaces (trees, vehicles, outdoor furniture, firewood) and disposing of them in alcohol or hand sanitizer helps stop new generations.
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Tree banding & sticky traps: Bands wrapped around tree trunks catch nymphs as they crawl upward in spring. (Wildlife-safe traps are recommended to avoid harming birds or small animals.)
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Host tree removal: The lanternfly’s preferred host, the invasive tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima), is often removed or treated with herbicide to reduce breeding grounds.
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Targeted insecticides: In some cases, professional pest control or agricultural programs use insecticides on high-value crops like vineyards or orchards.
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Quarantine regulations: States in affected regions restrict the movement of firewood, nursery stock, vehicles, and outdoor equipment to prevent egg masses from hitchhiking.
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Biological control research: Scientists are studying natural enemies from the lanternfly’s native range, such as parasitic wasps and fungi, as possible long-term population control.
Professional Roofing Inspections Are Key
In conclusion, while the spotted lanternfly may seem like just another nuisance insect, the honeydew it produces can create serious issues for your home, including clogged gutters, mold growth, and water damage if left unchecked. Because these problems often develop quietly over time, scheduling a yearly inspection with a trusted professional like Noble Roofing can make all the difference. Their team can spot early signs of lanternfly-related damage, keep your gutters clear and functional, and address small issues before they turn into costly repairs—helping you protect both your home and your peace of mind.
