They’re here!

The spotted lanternfly, aka Lycorma delicatula, is here in the Ohio Valley, with the Ohio Department of Gariculture reporting that the pest has been confirmed and is established in Belmont and Jefferson counties. They also have been reported in Harrison and Monroe counties, but the state doesn’t show them as confirmed in those areas — yet.

Why should you care?

These insects, native to Asia, are an invasive species. They multiple and spread quickly. I’ve seen them described as “great hitch-hikers,” making their way into cargo and onto vehicles that carry them from place to place.

Both the nymphs and the adults feed in large numbers, according to the ODA, causing damage to the plants they feast on. They like to suck sap from grapevines and other perennial and annual plants, including trees such as the black walnut, which is common here.

They also excrete a sticky substance that can attract other pests, such as stinging insects and ants, and that substance can promote sooty mold damage.

ODA says their distribution in Ohio is “widespread.”

I first saw a spotted lanternfly while attending a concert in Pittsburgh last year. Outside the venue, the sidewalks and walls were covered with the deceptively colorful and pretty little creatures.

These bugs are about an inch long with grayish spotted forewings with bright red wings under and behind them. The red parts are most notable when they fly, though they tend to hop more efficiently than they can fly.

Last week, my husband, Mike, told me he had seen several of these critters around his workplace in St. Clairsville. The following day, I took a walk around the block in Wheeling and found that I could barely avoid stepping on them. So, I did what any good local resident should do: I smashed as many of them as I could along my way.

Later that same day, I saw more of them around the Martins Ferry City Building.

Then, I found one on my own front porch in Belmont.

Because they are spreading rapidly and are a threat to our natural plant life and to agriculture, the ODA recommends that everyone work to contain them and slow them down.

These bugs do not bite or sting, so they aren’t a direct threat to people or pets. But they can be tough to catch up to and squish.

ODA recommends checking your vehicle and any outdoor equipment and firewood when going in and out of an infested area. On your own property, you can help mitigate them by removing host plants such as the invasive tree of heaven, wild grapevines and Virginia creeper, destroying eggs, and using chemical control when appropriate.

To destroy egg masses, scrape them into soapy water or rubbing alcohol, or treat with horticultural oils in winter or early spring.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources describes the egg masses as follows: Egg masses laid by females are light gray and covered by a mud-like substance and can be deposited on nearly any relatively flat surface such as tree trunks, buildings, fences, rocks, vehicles, or train cars.

In addition to squashing the adults and nymphs, ODA recommends removing them with a vacuum cleaner or shop vac and promptly disposing of the vacuum bag.

It also recommends using low-toxicity insecticides, such as horticultural oils and insecticidal soaps for nymphs and adults. ODA also offers this bit of caution: Protect pollinators by not applying systemic insecticides when trees or shrubs are in flower, or if nearby flowering plants may take up pesticide.

I, for one, will do my part to keep these critters at bay. I’m pretty sure it’s a losing battle, but I have read that the populations tends to surge for a year or two, and then the infestation may begin to subside. From what I have seen in Pennsylvania, “surge” is a bit of an understatement.

But, on the plus side, I can’t remember the last time I saw a live stinkbug.

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On the topic of insects, remain vigilant against ticks as the weather cools down. Not only do some species carry Lyme disease that can harm your or your pets, but some also carry Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, which is impacting Eastern Ohio’s deer population with cases confirmed in Monroe County. Deer hunting may be limited this year as a result.