How to Make a Homemade Lanternfly Spray
The spotted lanternfly is an invasive pest that arrived in North America from Asia in 2014. Unfortunately, spotted lanternflies don’t have natural predators in our area of the country, so we all need to do our part to get rid of them. They are classified as a plant stressor because their feeding patterns contribute to the long-term weakening of established plants and trees. Learn how you can make a homemade spotted lanternfly spray and other steps you can take to get rid of this destructive pest.
How to Make a Homemade Lanternfly Spray
There are a few DIY solutions you can make to kill lanternflies on the spot:
- Vinegar. Simply fill a spray bottle with white vinegar, and spray any adults you find. It should kill them almost instantly.
- Neem oil. Neem oil is a naturally occurring pesticide that is found in seeds from a neem tree. You can either spray the oil directly on a lanternfly, or make neem oil traps to leave around plants that attract lanternflies. Similar to vinegar, it can kill lanternflies on the spot.
- Dish Soap. Make your own lanternfly solution by mixing equal amounts of dish soap and water. The thick mixture drowns lanternflies that come into contact with it. You can even spray it on egg masses you find.
Other Ways to Get Rid of Lanternflies
Unfortunately, DIY methods like making a homemade lanternfly spray won’t be enough to control a lanternfly infestation. There are other steps you should take to protect our ecosystems:
- Remove Eggs. Lanternfly egg masses are brown and seed-like. They are covered in a mud-like paste that keeps them securely in a mass on a tree. You need to identify and remove them as soon as possible. To do this, scrape the egg mass into a ziplock bag of rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer.
- Capture and Kill Nymphs. Have you recently seen bands around trees? These are insect barriers used to capture nymphs on high-risk trees. This sticky band captures the nymphs as they climb the tree to find food.
- Insecticide Applications. Some insecticides can be used to get rid of adult spotted lanternflies. Be sure to choose one specifically for this application.
- Watch High-Risk Host Plants. Unfortunately, you will need to keep a close eye on trees that are at the highest risk of attracting spotted lanternflies. This pest picks out a “tree of heaven,” which they take over and eventually kill.
- Call Green Lawn Fertilizing. We need to help our ecosystem by eliminating spotted lanternflies. Green Lawn Fertilizing knows just how to handle them so you can save the trees in your yard and beyond. For help with spotted lanternfly control, call us today at 855-469-0692.