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[quote=Anonymous]Lanternflies are a big problem.  Anyone who says otherwise is uninformed.  The farming communities surrounding the DC area are becoming more and more vigilant about removing ToH and figuring out ways to kill more bugs.  While there are definitely way more this year than last out in the countryside, they’re in pockets. There are whole areas that don’t have many because of ToH control.

They have no beneficial properties.  Fortunately some birds are showing an appetite for them.

Long term I think they’ll develop more natural predators than the Japanese beetle or similar pests.

But crops like grapes are under a big threat.  They will go after your home gardens too.

And, just because they haven’t directly killed your trees doesn’t mean they aren’t weakening them or creating opportunities for fungal/bacterial infection.  They can also stunt their growth.  Killing them when you see them is more about solidarity though as you can’t squash your way to a meaningful impact.

A better thing to do is be militant about ToH.  Even if they eventually resprout, keeping them cut down as much as possible, and keeping them small is useful.  If you cut them enough eventually they’ll die off. I will say I’ve cut down 2-3, one was about 4 inches in diameter and I haven’t had any resprout.

Don’t confuse them for walnut trees or elderberries though… they can look quite similar when they’re young.

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