Lantern fly hatch in central PA is back

[krayfish2]

The back of our office building was covered with the little buggers.

 

[pcray1231]

You actually caught them as they hatch from the egg cases. Cool. And scrape the rest of those egg cases off before more hatch!!!

 

[krayfish2]

I may or may not have been trying to burn them with a lighter 😁. That didn't last very long because they can still jump 2 ft at that juvenile stage and we're bouncing off my forehead left and right

 

[albatross]

Lantern Fly pattern from Holsinger's Fly Shop

 

[mt_flyfisher]

Once the trout start feeding on those little buggers not only do they put up a strong fight when you hook them, but they jump like crazy!

 

[krayfish2]

The office in Camp Hill is covered in these things. We've discovered a yellow jacket infestation which is in the process of multiple treatments to exterminate. In the meantime, those buggers are hammering lantern flies. Almost got stung taking the close up

 

[wildtrout2]

Those look more like hornets than yellow jackets.

 

[riverwhy]

Are they coming from ground nests?

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

A few weeks ago when I was stung about 1/2 dozen times by what I call yellow jackets or ground bees, one of my biology nerd sons told me, "Dad, yellow jackets are bald-faced hornets." as if I should already know that. I'm not sure he was correct and didn't really care... Only that I needed to take some Benadryl and apply some cortisone.
Also, a game can be made of killing adult lantern flies with badminton rackets. The battery powered bug-zapper rackets are pretty fun as well.

 

[wildtrout2]

... one of my biology nerd sons told me, "Dad, yellow jackets are bald-faced hornets." as if I should already know that. I'm not sure he was correct and didn't really care...

No, they are two very different bees. They look nothing alike. Yellow jacket stings hurt, but a white faced hornet sting hurts real bad!
I've been stung by both numerous times over the years.

 

[krayfish2]

A few weeks ago when I was stung about 1/2 dozen times by what I call yellow jackets or ground bees, one of my biology nerd sons told me, "Dad, yellow jackets are bald-faced hornets." as if I should already know that. I'm not sure he was correct and didn't really care... Only that I needed to take some Benadryl and apply some cortisone.
Also, a game can be made of killing adult lantern flies with badminton rackets. The battery powered bug-zapper rackets are pretty fun as well.

I bought a badminton racket this spring to swat carpenter bees and it has come in very handy for the lantern flies. It's a nice break after work 😁

 

[riverwhy]

bald faced hornets are not true hornets and are apparently a member of the wasp family so related to yellow jackets. I saw a couple of the bald-faced baddies around, but the other ones shown by Kray are very common this year. But they don't really look like what I think of as yellow jackets. Seem bigger and just a different appearance though I don't want to get close enough to figure out what is different!
If it is native, seems a shame to kill if them, especially if they are chewing up the lantern flies.

 

[phiendWMD]

I've seen SLF in Lebanon, Schuylkill, Carbon, and Monroe County in the last week. It's not just central PA...

 

[JMP]

I have a pair of Oscars in a 55 gallon tank. I catch the lantern flies and release them in the tank. The Oscars fight over who gets to eat the lantern fly. My granddaughter and her friend enjoyed watching the Oscars inhale them from the surface.

 

[Bamboozle]

I was out in a boat on the Octorora Reservoir last week and the fish were really enjoying the Spotted Lantern Flies. However, I wasn't fly fishing so I couldn't enjoy the fish annoying the SLF.

However in year's past, any we saw on the water went unmolested so they must be an acquired taste for fish.

The good news for me at least is they have been virtually nonexistent in my area for at least two years despite our township being ground zero when they first appeared in the US.

 

[pcray1231]

People are thinking it looks more like a hornet because it's an invasive German yellowjacket as opposed to our native eastern yellowjackets. They are much more yellow.

The native yellowjackets nest in the ground. The german yellowjackets nest in buildings (walls, attics, etc).

 

[pcray1231]

I've seen SLF in Lebanon, Schuylkill, Carbon, and Monroe County in the last week. It's not just central PA...

They started in Berks.

 

[Bamboozle]

They started in Berks.

District Township, Berks County in 2014 to be exact. The rumor in the surrounding villages is that it was brought in by a local who sells imported stone.

District Township was put under quarantine followed by my township less than 24 hours later. Nothing stored outside was supposed to move out of the township in those early days including your automobile and folks selling stuff like firewood, produce, plants and stone had to get permits.

We went to several meetings in several townships where the experts assured us it could be contained...

We see how that worked out.

 

[krayfish2]

From doing a little bit of reading up, there are several wasp and hornet species that feed on lanternflies. At our East shore office in Harrisburg, two wasp nests in the entryway above the front door and just to the left in the flower bed, there's this gem. Looks like the booming population of lanternflies may also send the population soaring for some of our stinging friends. I offered my nephew $50 to hit it with a broom handle while I filmed it from inside the car. He's thinking about it 😁😂😂

 

[wildtrout2]

That sure looks like a white faced hornet's nest to me. Hit it with something and let us know how it goes.