You are likely familiar with this small spotted bug that resembles a small moth or butterfly. They are well recognized for their bright red hindwings, which are visible when they spread their wings or take flight. At first glance, the spotted lanternfly appears to be relatively harmless, and that is correct- at least to humans. They are an invasive species that are extremely harmful to the environment. The Spotted Lantern Fly, which has been present in New York City since the summer of 2020, has taken over all five boroughs. Maybe you’ve even encountered a few, dead or alive.

The Spotted Lantern Fly, or SLF, is an invasive species native to Southern Asia that feeds mostly on trees of heaven along with the sap of grapevines and fruit trees. To feed on the sap, they use their proboscis to pierce the plant’s bark, which weakens and harms agriculture, particularly native plant species. They have very few natural predators to keep their population in check given that they are not native to the United States. Because of this, the U.S. Department of Agriculture strongly advises everyone to kill any SLF they come across, to help slow the rapid population growth.

Whether it’s stomping, squashing, or swatting the lanternflies, New Yorkers have come up with a variety of innovative methods to combat these pests. First off, most New Yorkers are keeping it old-school by stomping on these pests. Now, for the creative minds, there’s the water bottle trick. Since the lanternflies jump up and forward; they practically dive headfirst into the bottle! After filling a whole bottle with lanternflies, most people shake it, but some have fun and stomp on it before throwing it away. And guess what? Electric fly swatters aren’t just for chasing pesky flies and mosquitos; they’ve found a new calling. With these gadgets in hand, New Yorkers have been electrocuting and swatting lanternflies left and right. And last but not least, people have been grabbing their vacuum cleaners to eradicate the clusters of lanternflies gathered on trees and on the ground.

Because it is impossible to completely get rid of this infestations, containment has become the goal and using these methods certainly is helping mitigate it.