Spotted lanternfly doesn’t directly kill trees, but it weakens them and makes them more likely to die from other causes. Reducing the insect’s numbers on your land can lower the stress they put on your trees.
Tree of Heaven is a common spotted lanternfly host, so removing this invasive tree from your land can reduce spotted lanternfly numbers. This video from the Potomac Highlands Cooperative shows how to identify the tree and has control tips.
The best way to control Tree of Heaven and prevent resprouting is “hack and squirt,” where you spray a small amount of herbicide directly into hatchet cuts made in the tree trunk. This University of Kentucky video shows how to do this practice.
