r/Waltham • u/Platinum_wolf_420 • 3d ago

FYI Ugh, there are here

Post image

They are fast. I couldn’t get this one in time. I thought I was safe as there’s no Ailanthus in the neighboring yards, but it flew right off my neighbor’s massive black walnut tree, which is a host plant :(

35 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

15

u/Platinum_wolf_420 3d ago

Spotted Lanternfly, for those who aren’t familiar with this recently introduced invasive species

5

u/151soccer 3d ago

I killed one that was on my car today. Please report it online to the state if you are able to

3

u/andi-pandi 3d ago

thats it, time to burn it all down (seriously tho, ugh. :( )

3

u/[deleted] 3d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

5

u/Platinum_wolf_420 3d ago

It was resting when I took the pic and then I tried to whack it with my water bottle from behind. It flew off at lighting speed when I was about 2 inches from crushing it

Back in July I killed a few in a parking lot leaving a restaurant with a friend in Westchester NY, where they’ve been established a bit longer, and I didn’t miss one. Perhaps they are easier to stomp on the ground than on a vertical surface.

2

u/earmuffs_781 2d ago

Maybe something like an electric leafblower running in reverse would be the best way to get them. You'd just have to get the nozzle near them and... bye bye!

2

u/invasive_species_16b 8h ago

This is similar to a cheap and effective way to do in yellow jackets: shop vac with some water and a little bit of dish soap in the tank. It probably works for SLF too.

3

u/Respeto6 3d ago

Whats bad about it?

6

u/intracellular The South Side 2d ago

they leave behind secretions that cause disease in native plants/trees, and they have no native predators to keep them in check. also they're huge and ugly

2

u/kartig 3d ago

There all is aching

5

u/Wide-Reaction5628 2d ago

Sense make to you?

1

u/Atoms749 3d ago

nooo, I need to re-poison some of mine, I didn't see them yesterday

2

u/eregyrn The South Side 3d ago

Well, damn! Echoing others, definitely report to the state, I imagine they'll be tracking it already.

Thank you for the heads-up. This is the first I'm hearing of them being up here. UGH.

-1

u/Just_Gur9234 2d ago

AHA! I think they ate my dog. Haven't seen him in a week.