OT: lantern flies

[mike 301]

Not sure there is a separate thread already but Holy $hit !
I knew they were around in my neighborhood but since the summer's moved on they are now fully grown and are a royal pain .
Came out this a.m. to go to work and they did a number all over my car ..
(2 that is) .
Was at my mothers yesterday evening for her birthday . My sister and I were standing out in the yard and we started feeling what we thought was rain .. No , no , no . It was a mass defecation from up above in the maple tree ... $hits out of hand ...

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

It was a mass defecation from up above in the maple tree ... $hits of hand ...

Literally, apparently.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

They’re everywhere around the South Hills and I can’t imagine they’re not here to stay.

They’re quick little bastards and not easy to kill. Spraying them with a mixture of Dawn dish soap and water does kill them but at this point it appears to be a never ending battle.

 

[mlvnsmly]

Not sure there is a separate thread already but Holy $hit !
I knew they were around in my neighborhood but since the summer's moved on they are now fully grown and are a royal pain .
Came out this a.m. to go to work and they did a number all over my car ..
(2 that is) .
Was at my mothers yesterday evening for her birthday . My sister and I were standing out in the yard and we started feeling what we thought was rain .. No , no , no . It was a mass defecation from up above in the maple tree ... $hits of hand ...

What area are you in? I haven't seen any this year.

 

[mike 301]

What area are you in? I haven't seen any this year.

Not far east of the city .

 

[mlvnsmly]

Not far east of the city .

Ok.im South. I'm surprised I haven't seen any.

 

[The Ole Six-Fiver]

Have been seeing more in recent weeks. Especially a couple place’s I regularly hang out that having seating on the water. Wife particularly is bothered by them, so it has cramped our style for sitting outside at these places.

Haven’t seen next to any at our house (knock on my head)…we have woods in our back too. Hope they stay at bay.

These are certainly bad news as far as impact to vegetation, the mess, etc…but they actually are kind of cool looking (when the wings are spread anyway).

 

[mlvnsmly]

I saw a ton last year at one ppg. They went all the way up. It was crazy.

 

[mike412]

Are they a different species from ladybugs?

 

[ratking17]

So I live in south central pa. Last year they were everywhere. I probably killed 100 per day. This year they were no where to be seen until a couple weeks ago. They are here but I am only killing about 5-10 per day and not anywhere near what they were like last year although the reports are they migrated west to western PA. Just do your job and kill them all

 

[forbesfield]

I'm in the North Hills. They are everywhere.

 

[WillyDavis33]

I was in the city today and they are prevalent. Are they part of the fly family? Awfully big if they are!

 

[mike 301]

Are they a different species from ladybugs?

Not sure but fully grown they are like an inch long and very evasive . Had to wash the car again this a.m. Clear water like $hit ALL over the windshield and dried up what looks like a pancake batter .
As Metallica said "Kill Em All" !!!

 

[Upg bobcat]

They are way worse this year than last year in Pittsburgh, but my sister lived in eastern PA about 5 or so years ago, and it was insane how many I saw back then. It was almost as if you could not take a step without causing a couple of them to fly up in the air, and it was like that everywhere, not just in a certain locations which is how it seems here for the time being. I hope they never get that bad in the Pittsburgh area but I imagine that's what we are heading for in a couple years.

 

[pitt_134]

So I live in south central pa. Last year they were everywhere. I probably killed 100 per day. This year they were no where to be seen until a couple weeks ago. They are here but I am only killing about 5-10 per day and not anywhere near what they were like last year although the reports are they migrated west to western PA. Just do your job and kill them all

Yeah im in the Harrisburg area, last year was terrible. Have yet to see one this year here.

 

[mlvnsmly]

Saw lots at Kennywood yesterday. I was hoping I didn't take one to the face on a coaster. Made it out unscathed.

 

[PittMan2003]

I live in central PA. We had a horrible infestation last year. I literally had to have killed thousands of of them with bug sprays in my yard and on our trees. It became somewhat of an obsession, because of how bad they were. I thought it would be unbearable this year but we have hardly seen any. It is the weirdest thing but I am beyond thankful!

 

[RoguePanther]

Dude, It's not shit. It's tree sap. Those bastards bleed the tree dry. It won't be able to keep up, and will probably die. Kill as many as you can, and fast!

 

[OmarMarino]

PA Department of Ag reporting site

or

1-800-4BAD-FLY

Stomp them

 

[upj87]

Not sure there is a separate thread already but Holy $hit !
I knew they were around in my neighborhood but since the summer's moved on they are now fully grown and are a royal pain .
Came out this a.m. to go to work and they did a number all over my car ..
(2 that is) .
Was at my mothers yesterday evening for her birthday . My sister and I were standing out in the yard and we started feeling what we thought was rain .. No , no , no . It was a mass defecation from up above in the maple tree ... $hits out of hand ...

its your turn...Been an issue here in Central PA for a few years...This year, hardly any of them at all....Rumor has it once the bird population figures out what the are they will chow down on them when they are nymphs...I remember the geniuses at Penn State emphatically stated for everyone to do their part and kill them when they see them. Great strategy to stem the tide for the 235,657,895,045 of them that were in the woods behind my house..

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

I see a few here and there, but I don't mind them. Nor do I kill living things. I figure a lot of species we probably accept as being common today were considered invasive at one time.

 

[pittdan77]

I see a few here and there, but I don't mind them. Nor do I kill living things. I figure a lot of species we probably accept as being common today were considered invasive at one time.

I feel that and would generally agree but these little guys could end up destroying a ton of other species if not held in check. We already saw something close to a total extinction of Ash trees in PA thanks to the invasive Emerald Ash Bore. These buggers don't really care what tree they kill so all of them are in danger.

 

[thom67]

its your turn...Been an issue here in Central PA for a few years...This year, hardly any of them at all....Rumor has it once the bird population figures out what the are they will chow down on them when they are nymphs...I remember the geniuses at Penn State emphatically stated for everyone to do their part and kill them when they see them. Great strategy to stem the tide for the 235,657,895,045 of them that were in the woods behind my house..

Robins are starting to eat them.

 

[pittchagg]

I feel that and would generally agree but these little guys could end up destroying a ton of other species if not held in check. We already saw something close to a total extinction of Ash trees in PA thanks to the invasive Emerald Ash Bore. These buggers don't really care what tree they kill so all of them are in danger.

See also: the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid. The hemlock is the state tree of Pennsylvania. Tell me how many hemlock trees you see around. A tree whose natural lifespan is up to 500 years old and 100 feet tall, and it’s basically been wiped out.

We exist in a more delicate ecological balance that we realize. Nobody’s saying that the lanternfly or the ash bore or the adelgid are going to threaten humanity’s existence, but we do ultimately exist downstream of all of this.

 

[upj87]

I see a few here and there, but I don't mind them. Nor do I kill living things. I figure a lot of species we probably accept as being common today were considered invasive at one time.

Malaria thanks you...

 

[pittdan77]

See also: the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid. The hemlock is the state tree of Pennsylvania. Tell me how many hemlock trees you see around. A tree whose natural lifespan is up to 500 years old and 100 feet tall, and it’s basically been wiped out.

We exist in a more delicate ecological balance that we realize. Nobody’s saying that the lanternfly or the ash bore or the adelgid are going to threaten humanity’s existence, but we do ultimately exist downstream of all of this.

Took 100 acres of infested hemlock down a couple of years ago to sell before the price tanked so I'm very familiar. You can actually get a treatment for Wooly Adelgid but it's very expensive.

I think the American Chestnut is a good example of how much things can change with a species being wiped nearly to extinction.

 

[MJG-90]

Dude, It's not shit. It's tree sap. Those bastards bleed the tree dry. It won't be able to keep up, and will probably die. Kill as many as you can, and fast!

And it’s apparently sweet, if you can get past the color. Maybe use it as a sweetener in the cat poop coffee.

Robins are starting to eat them.

Since lanternflies are red, birds shy away (apparently red is associated with bad taste or something along those lines). Bug birds and some spiders and insects are learning that they are sweet tasting and are beginning to devour them. Hopefully these go the way of the stink bug which had a short run of being annoying.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

its your turn...Been an issue here in Central PA for a few years...This year, hardly any of them at all....Rumor has it once the bird population figures out what the are they will chow down on them when they are nymphs...I remember the geniuses at Penn State emphatically stated for everyone to do their part and kill them when they see them. Great strategy to stem the tide for the 235,657,895,045 of them that were in the woods behind my house..

Maybe the reason you aren't seeing them much anymore is because your neighbors stomped on 235,657,893,277 of them?

 

[steelcurtain55.]

I heard Woody High had to get an exterminator at the Wolverana because there were piles of these things all over the turf.

 

[The Ole Six-Fiver]

I heard Woody High had to get an exterminator at the Wolverana because there were piles of these things all over the turf.

What’s weird is the best thing to eliminate them is apparently Dawn dish detergent. Probably something the ground crew could have handled without needing an exterminator with proprietary toxic chemicals