Unwelcome Summer Guests Are Back: How to Deal with Spotted Lanternflies

The warm season already began to feel on the East Coast of the United States, and with it came an old enemy: the spotted torch fly.This insect, as colorful as it is harmful, reappeared in several regions, including Maryland and Virginia, and the authorities already sound alarms.What's wrong with such a beautiful insect?Although its colorful appearance seems harmless, it represents a great danger for more than 100 species of plants. The fly drain…

Unwelcome summer guests are back: How to deal with spotted lanternflies

They first showed up in the northeast U.S. years ago, and it seems spotted lanternflies have made themselves right at home, with populations growing in our region. James McGlone, associate director of the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District and who’s retired from the Virginia Department of Forestry, told WTOP that the spotted lanternflies are “essentially a big aphid and what they feed on is tree sap.” Spotted lanternflies’ pr…

Spotted lanternfly found in Triad backyard; what to know about the invasive pest

The spotted lanternfly is an invasive pest that can be detrimental to plants, crops and properties. Where they can be found in the Triad and what experts say you can do about them.