Spotted lanternflies are booming in Fairfax County.
Primarily concentrated in the western part of the county just a couple of years ago, the invasive pest can now be seen throughout Fairfax and the D.C. region. Sightings have also been reported this summer in Arlington, Falls Church and the District.
“This year we have observed an increase of [spotted lanternflies] in areas where we work, and we have received many more reports from residents and colleagues in the area,” Rachel Habig-Myers, an urban forester with the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, told FFXnow by email.
An insect native to China, India and Vietnam, the spotted lanternfly originally made its way to Fairfax County in 2021 on a shipment to a grocery store in Annandale. Though it doesn’t pose a danger in its homeland, the species has become invasive in the U.S.
In addition to lacking established predators, spotted lanternflies are “planthoppers” with strong jumping and flying skills that enable them to spread rapidly. They’re also known to “hitchhike” on vehicles and other objects, and they can lay masses with up to 100 eggs during the breeding season, which typically lasts from September to May.
In July, spotted lantern flies morph into adults and start laying up to 100 eggs! They feed on trees leave behind a sticky, smelly mess.
🧹 Squish them if you see them
👷♀️ Urban Foresters are on it
❓Questions? pestmail@fairfaxcounty.gov
🔗 https://t.co/aHaLPhDfRI pic.twitter.com/aiaSREeMXC— Fairfax County Government 🇺🇸 (@fairfaxcounty) July 15, 2025
Nymph and adult flies then emerge during the summer, feeding on sap in the stems and twigs of more than 70 different types of hardwood trees, landscape vegetation and crops, including apples, grapes and hops, DPWES says on its website:
In large numbers they can damage and weaken plants, spoil crops, and make a big mess. In agricultural settings, SLF has been particularly damaging to vineyards. In urban areas, it has damaged landscape plants and become a real nuisance. The feeding causes oozing sap, wilting, leaf curling, and dieback. Like aphids, the SLF secretes undigested plant sugars that pass through it, called honeydew. This drops onto anything beneath drawing flies, bees, wasps, and ants that feed on it. Black sooty mold grows on the honeydew.
According to Habig-Myers, the insect’s recent proliferation across Fairfax County is consistent with the experiences reported in other cities throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S., pointing to Winchester, Virginia, as one example.
Winchester became the first Virginia locality to report spotted lanternflies back in 2018. At that time, they had only been previously seen in Pennsylvania, where they emerged in 2014.
Fairfax County advises residents who encounter spotted lanternflies to “squash, stomp and smash on sight.” They won’t harm people or pets, but there are no available pesticides that will keep them away, the county said in a news release on July 22.
“If you see adult spotted lanternflies, stomp/kill them immediately,” the county said. “If they evade you, then scrape them into the bottom of a cut plastic water bottle, shake it to disorient them, then dump them on the ground and stomp on them.”
The county says egg masses should also be scraped away when spotted:
If you see egg masses on trees, yard objects, vehicles and other types of outdoor surfaces into November, then scrape those masses. The egg masses are covered in a light gray colored wax that looks like mud when it dries.
- Egg masses should be carefully scraped into a container and drowned in soapy water or rubbing alcohol.
- Pesticides are unnecessary and should be avoided.
- Egg masses can be safely disposed of in your trash, composted or simply buried in your yard.
The most effective way to manage spotted lanternflies, however, is to remove tree-of-heaven, its favorite host plant, Habig-Myers says.
“DPWES provides funding for the Fairfax County Park Authority to remove tree-of-heaven, and is also coordinating tree of heaven removals on other county properties,” she said. “Our website provides resources for residents to manage them on their properties.”
Per DPWES, tree-of-heaven needs to be completely removed, including its roots, in order to be effectively eliminated, since it can still produce seedlings and sprouts even as a stump. Herbicides are recommended for addressing larger trees that can’t be fully dug up and to prevent re-sprouting.
The DPWES Urban and Community Forestry Division received a state grant worth $12,353 in May to help it manage tree-of-heaven on county-owned property, including schools, libraries, fire and police stations, the government centers, and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors offices.
