We’ve said that it wasn’t a matter of if spotted lanternfly would start to establish in the Finger Lakes, but rather of when. When has arrived.

In the third week of July, a member of the public notified the New York State IPM Program and the Finger Lakes Grape Program that they had found spotted lanternfly (SLF) nymphs on their property in Romulus, NY. A follow-up inspection from the NYS Department of Ag & Markets confirmed the finding. The inspector only found small numbers of nymphs at the site, but their presence indicates that they very likely hatched in the area this spring – and are likely here to stay.

The life stages of the spotted lanternfly

In light of this, Brian Eshenaur of the IPM Program wants to give growers some guidance on what they can and/or should be doing at this point:

  • Don’t freak out – We’ve known this pest was coming and would eventually show up here, so while it isn’t welcome news, this isn’t a surprise. Thanks to the experiences and hard work of friends in Pennsylvania, we are much better prepared to respond to the arrival of SLF. When a new population is found in area, especially a smaller one as this appears to be, it takes a year or two for the numbers to build to a point where they become a concern. At this point, we don’t anticipate that SLF will have a real impact on any vineyards this year.
  • Be more active in scouting for tree-of-heaven if you haven’t done so already. Start scouting tree lines around vineyard blocks to identify any tree-of-heaven. While SLF can feed on many different plants, they have a special relationship with this plant. It’s likely the first plant on which you will find SLF, and females can produce more offspring if they feed on tree-of-heaven than if they don’t.
  • Scouting vineyards in September and October for SLF is especially important, as this is when the SLF adults move into vineyards from surrounding trees. Females will also be laying eggs on just about anything they find at that time.
  • If you find SLF nymphs (now) or adults (starting sometime in August), be sure to report them using the SLF Reporting Form or contact Hans Walter-Peterson at 315.521.8789 to get the information to IPM or Ag & Markets.

Resources about how to identify different SLF life stages or tree-of-heaven (which can easily be mistaken for sumac or black walnut) can be found at the NYS IPM website about SLF at https://cals.cornell.edu/new-york-state-integrated-pest-management/outreach-education/whats-bugging-you/spotted-lanternfly.

We will be reaching out shortly to the vineyards that are close to where the nymphs were found to discuss potential scouting and trapping that will likely begin in the area.