Signs You Have Spotted Lanternflies in Your Long Island Home
You have spotted lanternflies on your Long Island property if you see gray-and-red winged insects clustered on tree trunks, decks, siding, and grape vines in late summer, gray-brown mud-like egg masses on tree bark and outdoor furniture in fall, or sticky honeydew and black sooty mold on cars, patios, and decking. Tree of heaven, silver maple, walnut, and grape are their favorite hosts. Suffolk County vineyards and Nassau County suburban yards with mature hardwoods are both seeing heavy pressure. Populations often surge two to three years after arrival, which puts Long Island in a serious activity window right now.
How Bobby Bugs Treats Spotted Lanternflies
Bobby Bugs treats spotted lanternflies on Long Island with a seasonal program targeting host trees during nymph and early adult stages, plus perimeter work on siding and decks where adults cluster. Expect a walk of the property, a specific tree-by-tree plan, and a treatment window matched to the life cycle.
- 1On-site walk to identify tree of heaven, silver maple, and other primary host trees.
- 2Nymph-stage treatment on trunks and lower foliage where possible.
- 3Adult-stage perimeter work on siding, decks, and outdoor furniture zones.
- 4Egg-mass scraping guidance for fall and winter follow-up.
- 5Return visits during the season depending on infestation size and program.
How Long Does It Take to Get Rid of Spotted Lanternflies?
You will see a sharp reduction in lanternfly clusters on treated trees within 3 to 7 days, and a meaningful drop in adults on decks and siding across the season. Because eggs laid in fall will hatch the following spring on and near the property regardless of this year's treatment, reduction is measured season over season, not day over day. Multi-year programs deliver the biggest cumulative drop.
How to Keep Spotted Lanternflies From Coming Back
To slow spotted lanternflies on your Long Island property, remove tree of heaven where possible, scrape and destroy egg masses on trunks, grills, and outdoor furniture from September through April, and check the underside of vehicles and cargo when traveling from heavily infested areas of the Northeast. Report large swarms to the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. Bobby Bugs will flag likely host trees during any visit.
More resources
- Visit our full services list.
- See every area we serve across Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, and The Bronx.
- See our general insect treatment page.
- See our tick control page.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get rid of spotted lanternflies in my yard?
Bobby Bugs treats spotted lanternflies on Long Island with targeted trunk and foliage applications on the trees they cluster on, primarily tree of heaven, silver maple, and grape. Treatment during the nymph and early adult stages significantly reduces the swarm that reaches your deck and siding in late summer.
Should I kill spotted lanternflies in New York?
Yes. New York State asks residents to kill spotted lanternflies on sight because they are an invasive species that damages hardwoods, orchards, and vineyards. Stomping adults, scraping egg masses in fall and winter, and treating host trees on your property all help slow the spread across Long Island.
What do spotted lanternfly eggs look like?
Spotted lanternfly egg masses look like smears of gray-brown mud, roughly one to one and a half inches long, on tree trunks, outdoor furniture, grills, siding, and vehicles. They contain 30 to 50 eggs each and are laid from September through November. Scraping them into a bag with alcohol destroys them.
Do lanternflies damage trees and houses?
Spotted lanternflies weaken trees on Long Island by feeding heavily on sap, and they excrete honeydew that drips onto decks, siding, cars, and outdoor furniture, growing black sooty mold. They do not eat wood or bore into structures, but the honeydew damage to finishes and paint on a Long Island house can be significant.
Why are there so many lanternflies on Long Island this year?
Spotted lanternflies are still expanding across Long Island because they have no established natural predators here and their host tree of heaven is common on both counties. Populations typically surge two to three years after arrival, which puts Nassau and Suffolk in the middle of a heavy activity window.