Sticky tape has mixed results on spotted lanternflies
Western Pennsylvania is in the peak of spotted lanternfly season, when the eggs that hatched during the spring begin to grow into adults before they start laying their own eggs in the fall.
As of July, all but 15 Pennsylvania counties are in the spotted lanternfly quarantine zone, with Butler County being added in early 2023 after sightings in Cranberry and Jackson townships.
Since then, sightings have been reported elsewhere, too.
Some residents have taken a different approach toward protecting their property from the tiny invaders, by laying a trap known as “sticky tape” which attracts and ensnares insects of all kinds.
However, some experts, including the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, are urging residents not to use sticky tape in this manner.
“People, who I think are very well-intentioned and just want to help control spotted lanternfly populations, have been putting sticky tape around,” said Rachel Handel, communications director for the group. “But we have been strongly advocating that people do not use sticky tape because of the danger that it presents to wildlife.”
Handel said sticky tape does not discriminate on what species it adheres to.
“Not only do they catch spotted lanternfly, they can also capture birds, bats, flying squirrels ... anything that is going to be on that tree bark,” Handel said.
Handel said even with human intervention, most small creatures who get caught in the tape have a slim chance of surviving without permanent injury. For birds, their first instinct when caught in sticky tape is to wiggle out of it, which only causes them to become even more stuck.
“Only about 25% of birds are able to be rescued from the sticky tape, and that can include intervention from wildlife rehabilitation,” Handel said. “They could lose feathers, they could break bones, they could sustain other injuries.”
On the other hand, Diane Dallos, Master Gardener coordinator of the Penn State Extension of Butler County, says that there is a way to use sticky tape to catch spotted lanternflies without endangering other wildlife.
“If you’re using sticky tape, you have to make sure you have some type of wildlife barrier to reduce the chance of a non-target catch,” Dallos said. “You're looking at possibly using like a wire screen mesh to make sure that beneficial pollinators or birds aren’t getting onto the trap.”
Despite their name, spotted lanternflies aren’t known for their ability to fly particularly well. In their adult stage, they prefer to hop long distances and crawl up trees. The Penn State Extension’s website has a tutorial on how to create a “wildlife barrier” out of flexible window screening to surround a sticky trap. This is intended to keep birds and beneficial insects from becoming ensnared in the trap while leaving a path for spotted lanternflies to climb into it, although a 100% success rate is not guaranteed.
“Because spotted lanternflies are inclined to climb up and down the tree, they’ll crawl under the screen,” Dallos said. “A flying insect, like a bee, is going to be coming in towards the sticky band from the air. Therefore, they won't be able to get through the sticky band, and they'll land on the screen instead.”
Whether or not sticky traps are safe, the most reliable and recommended way to dispose of spotted lanternflies is the old-fashioned way — stomping them out.
“Just squishing them is really our best approach, and the most fun,” Dallos said. “If we're squishing them, we're going to prevent them from laying eggs as well.”
