It is almost time to use traps or sticky bands to protect your trees from spotted lanternflies. Get ready now so you can trap lots of spotted lanternflies safely. “Most summer-time insect pests are coming out in full swing, including the Spotted Lanternfly,” said Kyle T. Schutt, Insect Management Technician for the Schuylkill Conservation District. “Make sure to stay on the lookout as I have seen them hatching heavily over the last week.”
The Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) is an invasive insect that feeds on grapevines and trees. There are a variety of options for SLF management, but one way to kill a lot of SLF without using insecticides is to trap them. The immature lanternflies (called nymphs) are often blown out of the canopy of the trees where they are feeding. Nymphs then walk to the trunk of trees and climb back up to start feeding again. We can take advantage of this predictable behavior of the nymphs by using traps to catch them as they climb up trees.
Many people in SLF infested areas have been using sticky bands wrapped around trees to capture nymphs. While this method can successfully capture many SLF nymphs it can also unfortunately occasionally capture birds and other creatures. If you are planning to use sticky bands this year, you should build a raised guard of wire or screening around the band to prevent other creatures from getting stuck on them. Penn State Extension has a short video that shows how to properly use sticky bands.
Recent research has shown that an entirely different kind of type of trap is also very effective and can dramatically reduce the chances of capturing other creatures. This new style trap is made of plastic-coated insect screening and does not use any sticky material at all. It is basically a tunnel that SLFs walk into. When they move upward in the trap, they end up in a dead-end collection container where they die. Currently, you can purchase this type of trap made specifically for SLF from one commercial source. Some people have been modifying similar commercially available traps designed for other insects to catch SLF. Other people have been making their own SLF traps from scratch.
Here is how to build your own trap! Click here: https://extension.psu.edu/how-to-build-a-new-type-of-spotted-lanternfly-trap-called-a-circle-trap?j=538865&sfmc_sub=66198090&l=159_HTML&u=10841595&mid=7234940&jb=56&utm_medium=email&utm_source=MarketingCloud&utm_campaign=SLF-2020-MAY-21-GN-EM-Spotted-Lanternfly-News&utm_content=SLF-2020-MAY-21-GN-EM-Spotted-Lanternfly-News&subscriberkey=0030W00003lVEhJQAW
NATURE NUGGET: June is National Rose Month. Each rose color offers a distinct meaning: red, the lover’s rose, signifies enduring passion; white, humility and innocence; yellow, expressing friendship and joy; pink, gratitude, appreciation and admiration; orange, enthusiasm and desire; white lilac and purple roses represent enchantment and love at first sight. The rose is also the state flower for North Dakota, Georgia, Oklahoma, New York and Iowa. The White House Rose Garden was started in 1913 by First Lady Ellen Wilson. Presidents still use the White House Rose Garden as the location for bill signings, press conferences, and diplomatic meetings. It’s believed that George Washington was one of the first American rose breeders.
NATURE QUOTE:
“Porcupine Pat” McKinney is environmental education coordinator for the Schuylkill Conservation District and provides programming for people of all ages with an emphasis on schools, public programming and nature center development. “Porcupine Pat” hails from Marion, Ohio and has a BS with Distinction in Natural Resources – Environmental Interpretation from Ohio State. He is a recipient of the prestigious Sandy Cochran Award for Excellence in Natural Resources Education from the PA Forestry Association, the Schuylkill Pride Award, and the PAEE “Outstanding Environmental Educator Award.”
