State College, Pa. – Sticky bands wrapped around tree trunks have proven effective at catching spotted lanternflies, but sometimes they work too well.
As the invasive insect continues to expand its range in the state, the use of sticky bands around trees is being utilized by more homeowners. At the same time, the increased use of sticky bands is also resulting in more incidental non-target catches of bats, birds and pollinator insects.
According to Penn State Extension Associate Heather Leach, reports of wildlife getting stuck on the bands increased last year. The occurrences created a dilemma as the public is encouraged to do its part to manage lanternflies, but not at the expense of other wildlife, Leach said. She added that 2020 is shaping up to be one of the worst years for lanternflies, so finding a solution to the sticky band issue is imperative.
“While tree banding won’t make much of a dent across the landscape, I don’t want to discourage the practice. It can help alleviate potential damage on a localized level, and every little bit helps,” Leach said.
But not if the bands are posing a hazard to wildlife as well.
According to Pennsylvania Game Commission spokesman Travis Lau, occurrences of wildlife being caught on sticky bands isn’t a widespread problem, but there have been incidents of bats, birds and squirrels being caught. Most of the incidents occur in the southeast where lanternflies are concentrated, Lau said, including the red-tailed hawk that was caught on a sticky band. The hawk was successfully released, Lau added.
“We recommend homeowners loosely wrap chicken wire around the tape to prevent these captures while still allowing insects to contact the tape and become caught,” he said.
Leach said chicken wire is fine, but a better alternative is to wrap the sticky band with a layer of window screen, leaving a gap underneath so lanternflies can still crawl onto the trap. The smaller openings in window screen further decrease the likelihood of bats and birds contacting the sticky surface of the band.
Another option, according to Leach, is a new style of trap that doesn’t utilize sticky material to capture lanternflies.
A circle trap, Leach said, consists of a mesh funnel wrapped around the circumference of a tree that directs the lanternflies into a container at the top. The container can be either a plastic bag or a jar with a hole in the lid. The traps are available commercially on a limited basis, and they can also be made at home.
“It’s similar to a minnow trap and it really limits non-target capture,” Leach said. “I’m hoping they become more available at stores, but there’s a lot of ways to make them.”
And she hopes they become more widely used as the lanternfly appears here to stay.
“This is shaping up to be one of the worst years we’ll see for the spotted lanternfly,” Leach said. “We’re in for a big fight in 2020.”
That’s why experts are encouraging homeowners to get involved by scraping eggs and wrapping trees as a means of localized mitigation.
There’s also an effort underway to combat the invasive insect on a landscape approach.
Penn State is leading a study at Blue Marsh Lake in Berks County on the use of a naturally-occurring fungal pathogen to reduce lanternfly numbers. While Leach said she doesn’t think the fungus will be a “silver bullet” in the fight against the lanternfly, there is reason for optimism.
“We did see reduced populations by 46 percent in treated areas,” she said. “In areas with new populations that are still small, it can be critical. It’s a new tool that can make a difference.”
