Spotted Lanternfly in Monroe County: What Pocono Homeowners Can Do

Spotted Lanternfly in Monroe County

Spotted lanternfly (*Lycorma delicatula*) arrived in Pennsylvania in 2014 in Berks County and has since spread throughout the Commonwealth — including firmly establishing populations across Monroe, Pike, Wayne, and Carbon counties. If you own property in the Pocono Mountains, spotted lanternfly is no longer a future threat. It's a present reality.

This guide covers what spotted lanternfly does to trees and plants, what management options are available for homeowners, and what Pennsylvania law requires of Pocono property owners regarding the pest.

What Spotted Lanternfly Does

Spotted lanternfly is a planthopper — not a fly — that feeds by piercing plant tissue and sucking out phloem sap. It feeds on dozens of plant species but has two categories of primary concern for Pocono homeowners:

Tree-of-heaven (*Ailanthus altissima*) is the preferred host plant and primary reservoir population. Tree-of-heaven is invasive and abundant throughout Monroe County, particularly along roadsides, utility corridors, and disturbed areas near residential development. SLF populations on tree-of-heaven can reach enormous densities and contribute to spread across the landscape.

High-value host plants including grapes, hops, apples, peaches, black walnut, and several ornamental trees and shrubs. Spotted lanternfly feeding on these plants causes direct damage through sap depletion, and indirect damage through the production of honeydew — a sticky excretion that coats surfaces below feeding populations and promotes black sooty mold growth. Severe infestations can stress and kill high-value trees over multiple seasons.

Low-impact hosts include many common landscape plants — oaks, maples, pines — that tolerate lanternfly feeding with minimal long-term impact under most conditions.

Current Status in Monroe County

Spotted lanternfly is well-established throughout Monroe County. Population densities vary significantly by location — properties adjacent to tree-of-heaven stands along Route 209, Route 611, and the railroad corridors through Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg tend to see the heaviest populations. Lake communities with established ornamental plantings and fruit trees are also significant impact areas.

Annual population levels vary with winter temperatures. Spotted lanternfly eggs are killed by sustained periods at or below -13°F — cold winters reduce, but do not eliminate, the following season's population.

What Homeowners Can Actually Do

1. Kill egg masses when you find them. Spotted lanternfly egg masses — laid September through December — look like dried mud patches about 1–1.5 inches long on flat surfaces including tree bark, fence posts, stone, outdoor furniture, and vehicles. Scraping egg masses into a bag of rubbing alcohol kills them. This action is low-impact at the landscape scale but meaningful on individual properties.

2. Remove tree-of-heaven. Eliminating tree-of-heaven from your property removes the primary breeding reservoir for spotted lanternfly populations. Tree-of-heaven sprouts aggressively after cutting — herbicide treatment of cut stumps or professional removal is more effective than cutting alone.

3. Professional insecticide treatments. For high-value trees (fruit trees, ornamentals, walnut, or other species you want to protect), professional-grade systemic insecticide applications can significantly reduce spotted lanternfly populations. Options include:

• Soil drench systemic treatments (neonicotinoids applied to the soil around the root zone) — effective but require lead time to absorb into tree tissue

• Direct injection — delivers insecticide directly into tree tissue with no spray drift

• Perimeter barrier sprays — residual contact insecticides applied to surfaces where lanternfly rests and aggregates

4. Circle traps. Sticky circle traps placed around tree trunks capture adult lanternfly as they walk up trees to feed. These can be effective on individual trees but require monitoring and replacement.

What doesn't work: Physical exclusion alone isn't practical at the property scale given SLF's flight capability. There are no effective repellents. Over-the-counter spray products provide short-term knockdown but no residual protection against the continuous re-infestation pressure from surrounding landscape populations.

Pennsylvania Legal Requirements

Pennsylvania is under a statewide spotted lanternfly quarantine. Property owners in Monroe County are required to:

• Inspect vehicles and outdoor equipment before moving them out of quarantined areas

• Not knowingly transport spotted lanternfly at any life stage — egg masses, nymphs, or adults — across quarantine boundaries

Practically speaking, what this means for Pocono vacation rental owners, landscapers, and anyone moving equipment or materials: check vehicles, trailers, outdoor furniture, firewood, and any items stored outside before transporting them.

FAQs

Is spotted lanternfly dangerous to humans or pets?

No. Spotted lanternfly does not bite, sting, or transmit disease. It is a pest to plants, not to people or animals.

Will spotted lanternfly kill my trees?

Healthy, established trees are unlikely to be killed by a single season of spotted lanternfly feeding. High-value or stressed trees — fruit trees, young ornamentals, or trees already dealing with disease — face higher risk with sustained multi-year infestation. Tree-of-heaven can tolerate extremely high population densities without dying.

When should I call a pest professional?

If you have fruit trees, ornamental trees, or other high-value plantings you want to protect, a professional assessment before the nymphs emerge in late spring (April–May) allows for timely systemic treatments. Call (570) 992-3487 for a free property evaluation.

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L&L Pest Control provides spotted lanternfly management treatments throughout Monroe, Pike, Wayne, and Carbon counties. We focus on protecting high-value trees and reducing population pressure around structures and outdoor living areas. Call (570) 992-3487 or request a free estimate.