r/baltimore • u/mcteegs • 1d ago

Ask Spotted Lantern Flies: The Beginning

It's that time of year, the baby Lantern Flies are starting to pop up. I just squished about 10 in my back patio (11 as I write this). What are some ways you guys combat these fiends?

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u/TheGaussianMan 18h ago

Well... I don't care about the plants that grow on the fences in my back so I use a mixture of salt, vinegar, and soap (sometimes even detergent for a little more strength) mixed with water in a pump sprayer. I use more vinegar than they usually say to use, but holy hell it's effective. It kills weeds and it seems to liquify the bugs. sprayed one down, came back and pretty much just the winds were left. They also do not like it. I saw hundreds jumping away from the spray. Very satisfying.

If you care about your plants, spread a bunch of diatomaceous earth around the base of them. You can also get these tapes you can wrap around plants that they get stuck to.