By now you've met them. The inch-long gray bug with the black spots, sunning on the deck, the siding, the swing set, the car. Brush past a bush and a dozen jump at once with a flash of scarlet. Connecticut just had a lanternfly summer, and it isn't over yet. By August, the state had found spotted lanternflies in 153 of our 169 towns. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station logged more than 1,000 sighting reports in a single day that month. Senator Blumenthal pitched a federal bill, the Spotted Lanternfly Research and Development Act, with $20 million to $50 million behind it.
Here's the local part. In 2012, the emerald ash borer was found in Prospect before anywhere else in Connecticut. My town. I wrote about that one, and it was honestly bad news, because the ash borer kills trees. The lanternfly is the sequel with a twist: New Haven County led the entire state in lanternfly reports last year, 7,683 of them. The ash borer was first found in my town. The lanternfly is thickest in my county. By last October, the Experiment Station's town map already showed valid reports in Prospect, Waterbury, Naugatuck, Cheshire, and Wolcott. We're the middle of it.
I'm Chris Jackson. I run MacKenzie Tree out of Prospect, named after my daughter MacKenzie Elizabeth, and I've been working this county's trees since 2010. So here's the honest version, because the bug is real but a lot of what's circulating about it is not. Yes, kill them. No, they will not kill your maple. And the most useful thing you can do starts right now, and it doesn't involve a fly swatter.
What Should You Do About Spotted Lanternflies This Fall?
Here's the fall version. Once we hit freezing temperatures the adults die, and the Experiment Station's 2026 fact sheet puts it plainly: in Connecticut, only the eggs survive the winter. Right now the females are laying next summer's bugs.
- Find the egg masses. About an inch long, 30 to 50 eggs under a gray coating that dries to look like a smear of mud. Check bark, stone walls, bricks, decks, grills, trailers, and the wheel wells, bumpers, and roof of anything you drive or tow.
- Scrape and bag them. A plastic card or putty knife, into a sealed bag with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer, then the trash. CAES says egg masses turn up September through May, so you have all winter.
- Report it. Send a photo through the CAES Pest Reporting Tool. They especially want reports from Litchfield, Tolland, and Windham counties.
- Mark your tree-of-heaven. It's the lanternfly's favorite host, and state entomologist Jacob Ricker told the Hartford Business Journal that studies have shown lanternflies feeding on it can produce more egg masses and stronger nymphs. Flag it now while the leaves are still on. The fix is a treatment next summer, then the cut.
Know this going in: CAES says "Connecticut does not have a public program for the control of SLF or tree-of-heaven." This one is on homeowners, and on guys like me.
What Is the Spotted Lanternfly, and Why Is It Everywhere Right Now?
The spotted lanternfly is an invasive planthopper from Asia. It isn't a fly, and it barely flies. It jumps, glides, and lands on whatever's warm. Adults run about an inch long, gray forewings with black spots, and when one jumps you get that flash of scarlet hindwing everyone photographs.
It turned up in Fairfield County in 2020. Six years later it's in all eight Connecticut counties, with no natural predators here to slow it down.
Two things to hold onto. First, it does not bite or sting. The state entomologist, Jacob Ricker, calls it a very large nuisance, and that's the right size for your worry. Second, what you're seeing now is the adult stage, out from July into November. Scraping the eggs they lay this fall is your best shot at a quieter yard next summer.
Should You Kill Spotted Lanternflies When You See Them?
Yes. Squish them. That's not just me, that's the official state guidance: see it, squish it. It's an invasive insect with no predators here, and nothing in Connecticut's food web depends on it. You don't need to feel bad about it.
You also don't need to be heroic about it, because your shoe is not a control program. In a county this saturated, squishing is a good habit, like picking up litter. It helps. It doesn't finish anything. The state's own reporting rules tell you where we stand: reports from New Haven County are now optional. Our county is so established the state no longer needs the data point. That's not a reason to shrug. It's a reason to put your effort where it counts, which is the checklist below.
Will Spotted Lanternflies Kill My Trees?
Here's where I break from a lot of what you'll read. No. Spotted lanternflies do not kill mature, healthy landscape trees. Connecticut DEEP is plain about the record: the only plants lanternflies have killed during infestations are saplings, sumac, grapevines, and tree-of-heaven itself. In DEEP's words, "Healthy, established ornamental trees have no recorded mortality from SLF," though canopy dieback and decline have been observed. The serious economic threat is to agriculture, vineyards and orchards especially.
What lanternflies do to yard trees is stress them and make a mess. The insect feeds by tapping sap, and it excretes the sugar it can't use as a sticky spray called honeydew. Enough of them and the honeydew coats everything below: bark, patio, cars, furniture. Then a black fungus called sooty mold grows on the honeydew, and it looks exactly as bad as it sounds. The honeydew also pulls in wasps, hornets, and ants. That's the real homeowner story. Mess first, tree stress second. Heavy, repeated feeding can slow growth and thin a canopy, and DEEP notes that roughly 47 percent of Connecticut's forest trees are potentially susceptible to lanternfly feeding. Susceptible means the bug can feed there. It does not mean marked for death.
When I wrote about the emerald ash borer, the message was urgent because that beetle kills an infested ash in 2 to 3 years, full stop. This is a different animal. So let me say it straight: if anyone quotes you a removal on a healthy tree because of the lanternflies sitting on it, get a second opinion. That's not what this bug does. A tree that genuinely needs to come down announces itself in other ways, and I keep the full list in signs a tree needs to be removed.
What Actually Works? Your Checklist for Fall and Winter
Squish, sure. But here's what I'd actually do with a Saturday this fall, in order of payoff.
1. Find out if you have a tree-of-heaven. Tree-of-heaven, Ailanthus altissima, is the lanternfly's strongly preferred host, and it's an invasive tree in its own right. Where it grows, lanternflies pile up, feed, and lay. It fools people because it mimics sumac and black walnut: long compound leaves, smooth gray bark, fast and weedy, usually along fence lines and driveway edges. Crush a leaf and you get a strong odor most people compare to rancid peanut butter. Not sure? The CAES lanternfly portal has a tree-of-heaven ID fact sheet, or that's what a free look from me is for.
2. Scrape egg masses, starting now. Between now and hatch next spring, every mass you destroy is up to 50 lanternflies that never happen. Scrape it into alcohol or hand sanitizer, or crush it completely. It's the least dramatic item on this list and the most effective.
3. Check what you move. Connecticut's lanternfly quarantine order is in effect through December 31, 2026. Egg masses ride on firewood, vehicles, campers, and outdoor gear. That's how this insect crosses state lines. Look before you haul.
4. Report it, with a photo. The channel is the CAES Pest Reporting Tool, and a report needs a photo and an address or it can't be accepted. Optional for New Haven County, actively wanted from Windham, Tolland, and Litchfield.
Squishing adults feels productive. Scraping egg masses is productive. If you take one thing from this post, take that.
Is Removing Tree-of-Heaven Worth It?
If you have tree-of-heaven on your property, removing it is the highest-value lanternfly move there is, and it would be worth doing even without the lanternfly. Jones Family Farm, down Route 8 in Shelton, has spent six years pulling tree-of-heaven from around its vineyards as its main line of defense.
Now the caveat, and I'd rather lose a job than skip it: you cannot just cut a tree-of-heaven down. Cut it and walk away, and the root system answers with suckers, sometimes dozens of them, and within two seasons you've traded one trunk for a thicket. CAES says to treat it with herbicide first, after July 1 and before it shows fall color, then wait at least 30 days before cutting. That window is closing now, so the honest fall plan is: find it, mark it, and book the treatment for next July. The cutting, hauling, and grinding is my lane. Some of those treatments may require a licensed applicator. Ask when you call and we'll point you in the right direction, whether that's us or a treatment specialist, and we'll sequence the two halves so the removal actually sticks.
Once the treatment has taken and the tree is down, we can grind the stump below grade so the spot is ready for something better.
What About Spraying My Trees for Lanternflies?
Back in August, a Connecticut hardware store owner told a reporter he was selling 15 to 20 gallons of pesticide a day. That's the panic talking, and I'd ask you to slow down before joining it.
Insecticide on a tree, especially a systemic that moves through the whole plant, is licensed-applicator work in Connecticut, and on most yard trees it isn't called for, because the bug isn't killing the tree. If a tree you care about is getting hammered year after year and visibly declining, that's a real conversation. Ask when you call and we'll point you in the right direction, whether that's us or a treatment specialist.
If you want to fight adults without chemicals, a circle trap is the legitimate tool: a mesh funnel wrapped around the trunk that catches lanternflies as they climb and drops them into a container. CAES's management fact sheets cover them, and warn that bare sticky bands catch birds and small mammals too. What I'd keep off your trees entirely is the vinegar and dish-soap sprays making the rounds. They kill some bugs on contact, and they also damage bark and hit every beneficial insect on the tree. Your maple shouldn't take collateral damage from an insect that wasn't going to kill it.
What's Hype? Three Things You Can Skip
The bounty rumor. No Connecticut agency is paying a bounty per dead lanternfly. If you saw a bounty story going around, it isn't a Connecticut program. Squish for free like the rest of us.
Panic tree removal. A healthy tree covered in lanternflies is a nuisance, not a removal. Anyone who tells you otherwise while standing under a green, full crown is selling fear, not tree care.
Miracle home sprays. Covered above. Squish, scrape, trap, and deal with the tree-of-heaven. Boring wins this one.
And one more piece of honesty: nobody, including me, can eradicate lanternflies from your property. Established means established. The goal is fewer, not zero, and fewer is genuinely achievable.
What Does a Lanternfly Visit From MacKenzie Look Like?
You call (203) 395-8153 and Joy gets you on the schedule.
On site, we walk the property. I'm looking for tree-of-heaven first, including the young ones hiding in the fence line, because that tree decides how bad your next summer gets. Then the trees the lanternflies are actually working. I'll tell you honestly whether what you're seeing is mess, stress, or an unrelated problem. This time of year, I'm also checking trunks and limbs for egg masses, including the ones above ladder height that you can't safely reach.
You get a straight answer in writing. Sometimes that's a quote for a tree-of-heaven removal done right. Sometimes it's scrape these, hose off the patio, and call me if the canopy looks thin next June. If your maple is covered but healthy, I'll say exactly that. It needs winter, not a chainsaw.
We're fully insured, we hold CT DEEP arborist business registration CTPMBR.05388 and CT home improvement contractor registration CTHIC.0644017, and we've been reading this county's trees since 2010. Free estimates, always in writing. And if a storm puts a tree where it shouldn't be, the emergency line is the same number, 24/7. (203) 395-8153, or the contact page.
Chris
Owner and Operator, MacKenzie Tree, LLC
Prospect, CT. Serving New Haven and Fairfield counties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I kill spotted lanternflies in Connecticut?
Yes. The official state guidance is see it, squish it. The lanternfly is invasive and has no natural predators here. Squishing alone won't clear a yard, so pair it with egg mass scraping from September through spring.
Do spotted lanternflies bite or sting? Are they dangerous to pets?
No. Connecticut's state entomologist is on record that they pose no harm to people, and they don't bite or sting. The problem is mess and plant stress, not safety.
Will spotted lanternflies kill my maple tree?
No. Connecticut DEEP says lanternflies have only killed saplings, sumac, grapevines, and tree-of-heaven, and healthy, established ornamental trees have no recorded mortality. Heavy feeding stresses a tree and coats it in honeydew and sooty mold, but it won't kill a healthy mature maple.
What does a spotted lanternfly egg mass look like?
About an inch long, 30 to 50 eggs under a gray coating that dries to look like a smear of mud. Look on tree bark, rocks, decks, grills, outdoor furniture, trailers, and vehicles from September through the following spring.
How do I destroy spotted lanternfly egg masses?
Scrape the mass off with a plastic card or putty knife into a sealed bag or jar with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer, or crush it thoroughly until every egg pops. Any time from fall through spring works, as long as it's before the eggs hatch in late April and May.
What is tree-of-heaven and how do I recognize it?
An invasive, fast-growing tree that is the spotted lanternfly's preferred host. It mimics sumac and black walnut, with long compound leaves and smooth gray bark. A crushed leaf has a strong odor often compared to rancid peanut butter. The CAES lanternfly portal has an ID fact sheet.
Can I just cut down a tree-of-heaven myself?
Cutting alone backfires. The roots respond with suckers, sometimes dozens, and you end up with a thicket instead of a tree. CAES advises herbicide first, after July 1 and before fall color, then the cut. Some treatments may require a licensed applicator.
How do I report a spotted lanternfly in Connecticut?
Use the CAES Pest Reporting Tool at arcg.is/4rWfL0. A photo and an address are required, and CAES says you may not get a response. Reports are optional for New Haven County, where the insect is established, and requested from Windham, Tolland, and Litchfield counties.
Is there a bounty for killing spotted lanternflies in Connecticut?
No. No Connecticut agency pays for dead lanternflies. Bounty stories circulating online are not a Connecticut program.
When do spotted lanternflies go away?
Adults die at the first hard freeze. The eggs they leave behind overwinter and hatch from late April into June, so fall and winter egg mass scraping decides how loud your next summer is.
Sources
- CT DEEP, Spotted Lanternfly, updated August 2026 (kill-on-sight guidance, honeydew and sooty mold, mortality limited to saplings, sumac, grapevines, and tree-of-heaven, no recorded mortality in healthy established ornamental trees, 47 percent of forest trees potentially susceptible, county reporting status): https://portal.ct.gov/deep/forestry/forest-protection/spotted-lanternfly
- Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, SLF portal (quarantine order, management and tree-of-heaven fact sheets, sightings map): https://portal.ct.gov/CAES-SLF
- CAES Pest Reporting Tool (photo and address required): https://arcg.is/4rWfL0
- CAES press release, Order of Quarantine renewal effective January 1, 2026: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/caes/press-room/press-release-caes-slf-quarantine-renewal-2025-2026.pdf
- UConn Extension, Spotted Lanternfly (life cycle, host plants): https://extension.uconn.edu/publication/spotted-lanternfly/
- CT Public, August 10, 2026 (Blumenthal bill, 153 of 169 towns, CAES Director Jason White): https://www.ctpublic.org/news/2026-08-10/the-spotted-lanternfly-threatens-cts-trees-and-crops-federal-funding-could-help-blumenthal-says
- WFSB, August 10, 2026 (Spotted Lanternfly Research and Development Act, $20 million to $50 million): https://www.wfsb.com/2026/08/10/blumenthal-renew-call-spotted-lanternfly-bill/
- WFSB, August 19, 2026 (1,000+ reports in one day, state entomologist Jacob Ricker, pesticide sales): https://www.wfsb.com/2026/08/19/spotted-lanternflies-spread-across-connecticut-officials-seek-solution/
- WTNH, July 30, 2026 (county map, New Haven County led the state with 7,683 reports in 2025): https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/hartford/map-how-many-invasive-spotted-lanternflies-are-in-your-connecticut-county/
- CT Public, July 24, 2026 (Jones Family Farm, Shelton, six years of tree-of-heaven removal): https://www.ctpublic.org/news/2026-07-24/ct-environmental-experts-track-spotted-lanternfly-population-as-it-increases-across-the-state
- CAES, Spotted Lanternfly page (seen in all Connecticut counties as of 2026, no public control program for SLF or tree-of-heaven, photo and address required, you may not receive a response): https://portal.ct.gov/caes/plants-pest-info/spotted-lanternfly
- CAES, Spotted Lanternfly Quick Facts and Management, 2026 (only eggs survive the winter in CT, adults July to November, egg masses September to May, scrape into rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer, driving at high speed does not dislodge them): https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/caes/caps/slf/spotted-lanternfly-information-2026.pdf
- CAES, Spotted Lanternfly Management for Residents, September 2024 (scrape September to May, some eggs unreachable at the tops of trees, sticky bands catch birds and small mammals, herbicide then wait at least 30 days): https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/caes/caps/slf/caes-slf-residential-factsheet-vls-9424.pdf
- CAES, Tree-of-Heaven fact sheet, September 2025 (herbicide after July 1 until fall color, treat before cutting, some treatments may require a licensed applicator): https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/caes/caps/factsheets/tree-of-heaven-factsheet-2025.pdf
- CAES, Notice of Order of Quarantine renewal (in effect until December 31, 2026): https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/caes/caps/slf/slf-quarantine-order-renewal-2025-2026-signed.pdf
- CAES, Valid Reported Sightings of SLF in Connecticut, by Town (data as of October 20, 2025): https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/caes/caps/slf/slfbytown.pdf
- Hartford Business Journal, August 2026 (state entomologist Jacob Ricker on tree of heaven, egg masses, and nymphs): https://hartfordbusiness.com/article/spotted-lanternfly-sightings-surge-in-hartford-as-invasive-insect-becomes-downtown-nuisance
- CT Insider via Yahoo News, September 3, 2026 (sealed bags with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer, circle traps over sticky bands, freezing temperatures): https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/connecticuts-spotted-lanternflies-suddenly-everywhere-115816221.html
- USDA APHIS, Spotted Lanternfly (check vehicle wheel wells, bumpers, and roofs): https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-pests-diseases/slf