Spotted lanternfly adults are laying eggs across Northern Virginia right now, and each small, mud-like smear on a tree trunk can hold dozens of next year's insects.
Egg masses are roughly an inch long and look like a patch of dried gray mud. They show up on tree bark, especially tree-of-heaven, maples, and black walnut, but also on fences, stone, vehicles, patio furniture, and firewood.
Scraping them into a bag or container of rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer destroys the eggs before they hatch in spring. Checking outdoor items before moving them out of the area also helps slow the spread across Virginia and Maryland.
On larger properties, heavy lanternfly activity often points to tree-of-heaven nearby, a preferred host that G&V's certified arborists can help identify and address as part of fall property care. A few minutes of scraping now means far fewer lanternflies next summer.
#SpottedLanternfly #NorthernVirginia #SpringfieldVA #TreeHealth #InvasiveSpecies
A close-up photo of a spotted lanternfly egg mass on tree bark from a Northern Virginia property. If no job photo is available, a clear, well-lit close-up of an egg mass works for this educational post.
Canva text suggestion: "Scrape Lanternfly Eggs Before Spring" or "Found Gray Smears on Your Trees?"