What to look for

Affected trees will develop weeping wounds that leave a grey or black trail along the trunk. In the late fall egg masses will start to appear that have a grey mud-like covering that becomes dry and cracked, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. The honeydew attracts other insects such as ants and wasps, providing another indicator of its presence. Adult are best spotted at dusk or night walking on tree trunks, stems and leaf litter at the base of trees.

➤ Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture offers several options for combating them: http://www. agriculture.pa.gov/Plants_Land_Water/ PlantIndustry/Entomology/spotted_ lanternfly/homeowners/Pages/default. aspx

➤ For more information about the risk, signs and symptoms, visit the USDA’s Hungry Pests site: https://www. aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/pestsdiseases/hungry-pests/the-threat/spottedlanternfly/spotted-lanternfly