This is a presentation on the Spotted Lanternfly, its spread and its control.

1. Spotted Lanternfly:
Reality vs the Tinkerers,
Disaster Overwhelms Us?
by
Richard Gardner
(rtgardner3@yahoo.com)

2. Scared people act stupidly
Scared stupid people act very stupidly
Scared stupid politicians say and act …

3. http://www.readingeagle.com/storyimage/RE/20160106/BERKSCOUNTRY/301069969/EP/1/12/EP-
301069969.jpg&exactH=300&Q=80&exactFit=crop&RCRadius=10 copied 1/25/18
https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0LEVxYm0GhaR8YACXBXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEyb3
ZxOTE0BGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjQwMzdfMQRzZWMDc2M-
?p=spotted+lanternfly&fr=tightropetb#id=1&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.agriculture.pa.gov%2FProtect%2
FPlantIndustry%2Fspotted_lanternfly%2FPublishingImages%2FDorsal.jpg&action=click copied Jan. 24,
2018

4. Kittatinny Sierra Club
April 2018

5. This presentation can be found at:
https://www.slideshare.net/rtgardner3
/presentations

6. The most important question

7. Is the Spotted Lanternfly obligate
to Ailanthus altissima for
survival?

8. Ailanthus is a ecotone tree –
preferring the edge of fields to
open fields and (shaded) forests.

9. If the Spotted Lanternfly is
obligate to Ailanthus altissima it
is possible to partially protect
crops such as grapes and tree
fruit by intelligently removing the
Ailanthus trees around vineyard
and orchard edges.

10. Ailanthus identification

19. My thoughts

20. 1. There are numerous "apocalyptic" issues right now in our
forests including: hemlock woolly adelgid, elongate hemlock
scale, gypsy moth, dogwood anthracnose, thousand cankers
disease on black walnut, sudden oak death, chestnut blight,
Asian long horned beetle, emerald ash borer and at least 20 or
30 non-native invasive plants locally.

21. 2. There are probably at least 10,000,000 Ailanthus altissima
trees in Berks County. (Many are dying due to a combination of a
native moth, a mite, disease and native flowers.) So eliminating
Ailanthus from the local ecosystems to form a biological barrier
to the spread of the Spotted Lanternfly is impossible.

22. 3. Ailanthus altissima clones when wounded. Simply cutting it
down as homeowners and other land owners are apt to do will
cause it to clone which means that potentially hundreds of
clones may sprout from one tree, making the problem much
worse.
There are only a few effective methods of killing Ailanthus which
prevent cloning and are somewhat environmentally friendly. The
simplest and safest for most people is “Drill and Fill”.

25. 4. From the moment the Spotted Lanternfly was introduced, the
control/eradication by human action was impossible. In the same
way the brown marmorated stink bug traveled across the United
States as a hitchhiker (I read that it is now in most US states after
being first discovered at Allentown), the spotted lanternfly is
beginning to travel. There are two saving traits about this insect
which may slow down its movement across the continent; it is a
hopper – not a flyer and apparently has one generation/year
(even though this may be debatable from what I am hearing).
https://bugguide.net/images/cache/QZ1/L7Z/QZ1L7ZALRZRHIRKHIROZ
7RSHGRKH8RZHKRWLXR2LZZULIRDZKR2LKRCZIRULLZ6L3LWLQROZ7R0H
XROZ7RWLIR3ZMR.jpg copied Jan. 26, 2018

26. 5. The only way this insect is going to be controlled or
eradicated is if a native organism - disease, predator, parasite
or more likely a combination of these begin to use it as an
energy (food) source. This appears to be what is happening to
the brown marmorated stink bug locally.

27. 6. On January 22, 2018 the Spotted Lanternfly was
confirmed in Virginia. The problem is now well beyond our
control as it was from the beginning.

28. Our only real hope

29. The Brown Marmorated Stink bug was first found in
Allentown, @ 40 minutes east of our home. Unfortunately, I
expect the same spread pattern between the spotted
lanternfly and BMSB along the highway and interstate
corridors.
Locally, the BMSB population exploded across the
landscape, but now appears to be in severe decline.
https://bugguide.net/images/cache/QZ1/L7Z/QZ1L7ZALRZRHIRKHIROZ7RSHGRKH8RZHKR
WLXR2LZZULIRDZKR2LKRCZIRULLZ6L3LWLQROZ7R0HXROZ7RWLIR3ZMR.jpg copied Jan.
26, 2018
https://www.invasive.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=53693
81 vopirf Jan. 26, 2018

30. The Spotted Lanternfly from what I hear is exploding in the
same way across the landscape and is expected to continue to
do so. The same pattern of an exploding population with
sudden decline may be the best we can hope for.

31. What apparently happened with the BMSB is that:
1. Native birds which feed on native stink bugs began
feeding on the non-native BMSB.
2. A disease, parasite or both have apparently been
infecting the BMSB. These organisms most likely
jumped from native stink bugs.

32. What I have learned is that the closer the relationship of a
non-native to a native, the more apt what I call “bioeradicants”
will move from a native to a non-native.

33. A bioeradicant is a native organism which feeds on a non-
native. Since the non-native is naïve, without coevolved
defenses to organisms in the new ecology, and has very
limited genetic heterogeneity*, it may be possible to
eradicate the non-native from the local ecology.

34. * “Founder effect” is what happens when a small
subpopulation of a species moves from one ecosystem to
another. The fewer the individuals in the founding population,
the less the genetic heterogeneity, fewer genes for every trait.
Hence, the introduced species is less able to adapt to the new
ecosystem.

35. Even if the present populations is millions, they still are
descendants of a few or perhaps only two original parents,
which limits the number of genes for any trait.
This is a huge vulnerability.

36. What I look for are native organisms using native
organisms for an energy source which are generalists
within a family, but specialists to a family. In other words
organisms which “feed” only on a family, but “feed” on
many species within that family.

37. These organisms can be anything from viruses, bacteria,
fungi and other pathogens to insects, reptiles, birds or
mammals.

38. In theory, the (naive) non-natives have few if any defenses
to native organisms which feed on their relatives. This
also means that there should be preferential “feeding” on
the non-native over the native relatives because the non-
natives are easier food than the natives.

39. Unfortunately, two of my sources say that there are no close
native relatives to the Spotted Lanternfly. So, the process
will probably take a lot longer than if there are close
relatives.

40. Fortunately, this may already be happening with paper
wasps (and other insects) attacking the larvae according to
a comment I heard at the January Berks Dems meeting.

41. Neonicotinoids

42. The Spotted Lanternfly is apparently being approached
entirely as an agriculture issue, not an ecological one. Ag is
all about chemicals in the same way medicine is all about
drugs.

43. The only real results from the plans of
controlling the Spotted Lanternfly is that
the ecology will be further inundated
with the toxic chemicals we call
“insecticides” polluting the food we eat,
the air we breathe, the ground we walk
on, our homes, our yards and most
dangerously of all OUR WATER.

44. And pesticide companies will make a
larger profit at the expense of all of us
while making us sick.

45. Dinotefuran, a neonicotinoid, appears to be the insecticide
of choice.
(https://extension.psu.edu/update-on-spotted-lanternfly-control-options)(accessed 3/27/18)
Maryland is First State to Ban Neonicotinoids
https://www.bna.com/maryland-first-state-n57982073298/
May 31, 2016
Scientists Urge Action to Protect Waters from Neonicotinoid Insecticides
https://xerces.org/2018/03/13/scientists-urge-action-to-protect-waters-from-neonicotinoid-insecticides/
Today, a group of 56 scientists that includes many prominent researchers studying the effects of
neonicotinoids sent a letter to California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) highlighting the threat
neonicotinoids pose to the health of California’s waterways. The scientists urge CDPR to take steps to reduce
neonicotinoid contamination of the state’s streams and rivers.
Tuesday, March 13th, 2018
Oregon Restricts Use of Certain Dinotefuran Pesticides
The Oregon Department of Agriculture is restricting the use of 18 pesticide products containing the active
ingredient dinotefuran while it continues the investigation of a large kill of bumblebees.
http://www.pctonline.com/article/oregon-dinotefuran-restrictions/
July 2, 2013
All articles accessed 3/23/18 except the first one.

46. My five concerns

47. 1. that the huge amount of pesticide which will be spread across
the ecology will kill native organisms beginning to feed on the
Spotted Lanternfly, thereby destroying the only real answer to
this problem.

48. 2. the inundation of insecticides in the ecology will destroy
pollinators which are essential to plants reproducing and food
production.

49. 3. the Spotted Lanternfly will begin attacking native
Simaroubaceae in the southern United States such as
Simarouba glauca, This may drive this plant and organisms
dependent on this plant to extinction.
This is the reverse of the jump Atteva aurea, a native moth,
made from native Simaroubaceae to Ailanthus altissima.

50. 4. the inundation of insecticides will destroy native insect,
amphibian, reptile, bird and mammal species. This damage will
not be repairable for many, many years if ever.
What is effective against one organism will usually be effective
against others. There are no pesticides which are specific
enough to take out just one species or genus without affecting
related members of the family.

51. As people panic and overreact expect non-target species to be
taken out either directly by the pesticides or inadvertently as
collateral damage.
Collateral damage - biomagnification as happened with DDT,
chlordane, dieldrin and other organochlorine pesticides in the
mid-20th century is probable. Poisons were ingested near the
bottom of the food web and passed through the food web to the
top of the system, taking out raptors such as bald eagles.
Expect to see this happen again with the panic beginning to
happen this spring.

52. 5. the inundation of insecticides in the ecology will erode our
health.

53. One pesticide may not hurt us much, but many pesticides
at non-quantifiable (trace) levels working synergistically
together can be a disaster.

54. Therefore, I am hesitant to buy produce from quarantined areas
and (the rest of PA) because I am certain the food will have
more pesticides than before this panic. I will be buying as much
as possible foods labelled "organic" and minimizing what I buy
otherwise.

55. My expectations of how the
Spotted Lanternfly has and will
continue to spread from Berks
County

57. The Spotted Lanternfly has apparently crossed I-78 in
Shartlesville a mile north of where I live and is ready to go over
Blue Mountain (and the Appalachian Trail) to enter Schuylkill
county along either Rt. 501, Rt. 183 or Rt. 61 (at Port Clinton).
With I-78 being crossed it means that Harrisburg on the west
and the Lehigh Valley on the east can expect to see this insect
early this coming summer. New Jersey is only an hour's drive
east from my home along I-78 and Rt. 22. I-81 is about 30
minutes west from Shartlesville along I-78. That is a corridor to
spread both northeast into New England and south into
Maryland and Virginia.

58. Apparently, the spread through Maryland into Virginia has
already happened. This may be a one time event where the
Spotted Lanternfly jumped on a truck locally and jumped off in
Virginia or be part of an unrecognized spread down a corridor.

59. https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5086988,-76.0895897,11.75z copied Jan. 25, 2018
Expected local movement into Schuylkill County in 2018

60. https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=berks+county+road+map&fr=tightropetb&imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mikegrims.com%2Fimages%2Fbigbigmap.jpg#id=4&iurl=https%3A
%2F%2Fwww.greaterreading.com%2Ffiles%2F2014%2F08%2FBerks-County-Map-1024x623.jpg&action=click copied Jan. 24, 2018
Notice the box of major roads around Berks County. These transportation arteries are the primary
reason the Spotted Lanternfly cannot be contained in Berks County.

61. Image ID : 4424905 Media Type : Illustration Copyright : Stacey Lynn Payne https://www.123rf.com/photo_4424905_interstate-map-of-the-continental-united-
states-with-state-names-and-capital-cities.html Copied Jan. 24, 2018

62. Drill and Fill

63. Drill and Fill
Procedure:
1. Drill a 3/8” hole 1-2” deep every 2” around the trunk.
2. Spray in 50.2% glyphosate (purple cap Roundup®).
3. Drill a 3/8” hole in all obvious roots leaving the trunk and fill with
glyphosate.
This method may be done from the time the tree is leaving dormancy to a
couple weeks before dormancy and possibly during dormancy.
Materials:
50.2% glyphosate
chemical gloves
chemical goggles
cordless drill
3/8” drill bit
spray bottle with
“glyphosate”
written on it
measuring tape
pencil or marker

66. Miscellaneous notes

68. Scared people act stupidly
Scared stupid people act very stupidly
Scared stupid politicians say and act …

69. Miscellaneous notes

70. The best way to control or eradicate a non-native organism is to look at native
relatives in the same genera or family for what is using them as an energy source
(feeding on it). The closer the relationship, the more apt a native organism is to adapt
from the native to the non-native. I call this bioeradication as the non-native will be
easy prey to the native organisms with eradication as a probable result.
Biocontrol is the mistaken idea that introducing at least one non-native organism will
control another already introduced non-native organism. This often leads to at least
another level of the same process as the biocontrol’s introduction leads to more
(unanticipated) problems which means that the original introduced non-native
biocontrol(s) need controlling. Plus, the introduced biocontrols which apparently did
not work will disappear into the ecology with no one knowing if they went extinct or
were adapting to the conditions until they explode across the landscape in unforeseen
and unpredictable ways.
I do not look at single species of organisms for eradication, but a group of organisms
which are working together such as found with Ailanthus altissima and Rosa
multiflora. In both cases there is a carrier which brings a mite to the host plant, the
mite and a disease carried by the mite working accidently together kill the non-native
plant. This takes time to happen, often more time than humans like or human egos
can deal with.

71. This is how we kill brown marmorated stink bugs around the house. It should work
for the spotted lanternfly.

72. Gypsy moth eggs on a tree near
Drehersville, Schuylkill County, PA

73. Rose rosette disease on multiflora rose

74. https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0LEVxYm0GhaR8YACXBXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEyb3ZxOTE0BGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjQwMzdfMQRzZWMDc2M-
?p=spotted+lanternfly&fr=tightropetb#id=74&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwildlife.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F12%2Fbug.png&action=click
copied Jan. 24, 2018

75. Drill and fill
1. Drill a 3/8” hole 1-2” deep every 2” around the trunk.
2. Spray in 50.2% glyphosate (purple cap Roundup®).
3. Drill a 3/8” hole 1-2” deep in all obvious roots leaving the
trunk.
This method may be done from the time the tree is leaving
dormancy to a couple weeks before dormancy and possibly
during dormancy.

76. Dinotefuran
May 31, 2016
Maryland is First State to Ban Neonicotinoids
https://www.bna.com/maryland-first-state-n57982073298/
By Kathy Lundy Springuel
May 31 —A state ban on consumer use of neonicotinoid pesticides is slated to take effect Jan. 1,
2018, after Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announced that he will allow S.B. 198/H.B. 211 to
become law without his signature.
The legislation, which includes exceptions for certified applicators, farmers and veterinarians,
makes Maryland the first state to adopt such a ban on consumer use, according to a coalition of
environmental organizations operating as Smart on Pesticides Maryland.
The measure was prompted by concerns that neonicotinoid pesticides contribute to mortality of
pollinators such as bees, birds and butterflies.

77. https://xerces.org/2018/03/13/scientists-urge-action-to-protect-waters-from-neonicotinoid-insecticides/
Scientists Urge Action to Protect Waters from Neonicotinoid Insecticides
Will California’s regulators take steps to curtail neonicotinoid water pollution? If they take the advice of scientists, they
will.
Today, a group of 56 scientists that includes many prominent researchers studying the effects of neonicotinoids sent a
letter to California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) highlighting the threat neonicotinoids pose to the health of
California’s waterways. The scientists urge CDPR to take steps to reduce neonicotinoid contamination of the state’s streams
and rivers.
The letter was prompted by findings from a 2016 Xerces Society investigation that were published in a report and
subsequent fact sheet. That study found that imidacloprid is often found in California’s rivers and streams at levels harmful
to species such as mayflies and caddisflies. Reducing the abundance of these insects has far-reaching effects because
aquatic invertebrates are core contributors to nutrient cycling, water quality, and aquatic food webs that support fish and
wildlife. The letter outlines some of the ramifications of such a change:
• Upsurges in pest species such as mosquitoes in the absence of predators and competitors;
• Increased methane production when microbes replace invertebrate decomposers; and
• Declines in native insectivorous birds and fish when food sources are limited.
The letter also points out that neonicotinoid contamination in California often exceeds federal aquatic life benchmarks.
Between 2010 and 2015, 42% of California’s imidacloprid detections exceeded the acute benchmark and 100% of them
exceeded the chronic benchmark. In certain regions of the state, particularly agricultural areas, the acute imidacloprid
benchmark was more frequently exceeded. For example, the samples were above the acute benchmark in 80% of
detections in the farmlands that straddle the San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara county line near Santa Maria, and in 63% of
detections in Monterey County. While the federal benchmarks don’t carry regulatory weight, exceedances often precede
protective action.
The Xerces Society hopes that the letter from scientists will prompt CDPR to act quickly to clean up California’s
waterways.
By Aimée Code, Pesticide Program Director, and Sarah Hoyle, Pesticide Program Specialist

78. Sent to the MAIPC distribution list on 4/13/18
I live literally on the frontline of the panic/war on the Spotted Lanternfly near
Shartlesville in Berks County, PA. We use I-78, the apparent northern border of the
spread, as a local commuting route. Blue Mountain and the Appalachian Trail are a
few minutes north of us. There is at least one large fruit orchard nearby. We buy
vegetables from a local organic grower.
This summer I will be spending a lot of time along the Appalachian Trail and other
trails in Berks County, PA. My goals are twofold. The first is to continue research
on Castanea dentata and its natural comeback from the blight while taking down
the severely misguided American Chestnut Foundation. The second will be
observation of the spotted lanternfly to learn as much as I can as fast as I can. To
this end I will be especially looking at Celastrus orbiculatus, various Lonicera
sp., Rosa multiflora, other woody non-natives from Asia and naturally Ailanthus
altissima to see if the spotted lanternfly feeds on these plants from its point of
origin.
It would be a valuable research project if someone were to collect these plants
along with native equivalents and test them directly with the spotted lanternfly to
learn which ones are potential food sources. For now, the local agriculture people
are focusing on Ailanthus. However, if the Asian plants serve as preferential food
sources over native plants we will have an overwhelming breeding area because in
Berks County the understory is almost all non-native in large areas of disturbed
forest.

79. A big concern of mine with the panic locally is that scared people act stupidly and
scared stupid people act very stupidly. (Then there are the illiterate politicians we
have to deal with in Berks County and Pennsylvania who are feeding the panic.)
My expectation is that many farmers will be loading up their fruit and vegetable
crops with more pesticides than they already are. This makes me hesitant to buy
local produce unless it is labelled "organic". It will also add more poisons to our
streams, land, ground water and the air we breathe. We are already inundated
with agricultural poisons - how much more can we and the ecosystems take? Many
of the local ecosystems are already in a catastrophic state - I fear the additional
damage.
My understanding of how Ailanthus is killed by the PA Game Commission is that
they spray the trees with glyphosate and/or triclopyr. If this is still the practice and
is generalized with the PA Ag department, then the collateral damage will be huge
as spray drift is hard to control and perfect windless conditions are almost non-
existent. I understand that to use other methods is impractical with the number of
Ailanthus trees in Berks and Schuylkill counties, especially with clonal stands.
However, there must be a better method or at least more benign chemicals which
do the same.
It appears that the PA Ag folks are falling into the Japanese beetle trap syndrome
by setting up trap trees around fields of vulnerable crops. The result will be instead
of keeping the spotted lanternfly away from the crops, it will be bringing them into
the fields instead. I have heard that the best place for a Japanese beetle trap is
your neighbor's yard as it will attract them there instead of to your yard. This is
good advice for keeping the spotted lanternfly off crops.

80. Our organic garden was severely damaged by the Brown Marmorated Stinkbug last
summer. The tomatoes which survived the localized tomato blight were full of
bites from the BMSB. We lost about 90% of our late season pole beans to the
BMSB. Peppers were untouched as were other vegetables. If the spotted lanternfly
has similar feeding habits to the BMSB our garden will be an unfortunately great
place to observe how these two insects interact.
Finally, if the hatching of the spotted lanternfly eggs is in sync with the leafing out
of Ailanthus, it is a strong indicator that Ailanthus is a requirement for successful
development and reproduction. Near home in the lower elevations, the non-native
understory is in leaf. Ailanthus appears to still be in dormancy, even though the
temperatures this weekend may change that.
These are just my thoughts and concerns.
Richard Gardner

81. Reading Eagle
Jan. 15, 2018

82. Editorial: A strong argument for
help fighting lanternfly
Monday January 15, 2018 12:01 AM (Reading Eagle)
Berks County Commissioner Christian Y. Leinbach must have taken a panel of U.S. and state
lawmakers aback with his strongly worded warning about the need for swift action to eradicate
the spotted lanternfly. The chairman of the commissioners delivered his plea for federal funding
in appropriately stark terms during an appearance before a legislative forum at the Pennsylvania
Farm Show.
"We need an immediate response. If we don't get these resources to us before the spring hatch in
two months, it may be too late," (This insect was officially identified in Virginia on Jan..
22.) Leinbach said. "The spotted lanternfly will wipe out the grape industry, could wipe out
hardwood, and is impacting orchards." (I do not remember this much fuss made about the brown
marmorated stink bug which does the same.)

83. "This is apocalyptic from an economic and environmental standpoint," he added. "We
have heard from grape growers and orchard owners: One more year of this, and they are
out of business." (These crops are so heavily sprayed with agricultural chemicals that the
spotted lanternfly does not stand a chance. The brown marmorated stink bug does the
same and eats the same foods. We lost about 2/3 of our beans and many of our tomatoes
last year due to this insect.)
Those of us who have witnessed the rapid spread of the pest over the past few years know
that the commissioner is hardly exaggerating. (It should have been handled when it first
appeared.) For a while it was largely limited to a relatively small, rural section of eastern
Berks County. But in 2017 the pest was spotted in large numbers in much of the region.

84. The spotted lanternfly is native to Asia but came to North America in a shipment to Berks
County, where it was first spotted in 2014. The pest, which destroys grape vineyards and
hardwoods and has been seen in apple orchards, has spread to 13 southeast Pennsylvania
counties. (Then why the panic? If it is in that many counties, there is no chance of control.)
Leinbach needed to make a strong case because of the uphill climb he's facing. He is
requesting $40 million in federal funding. (A total waste of money which can be better spent
on schools.) Getting any money from Washington or Harrisburg is difficult right now. Getting
it in a matter of weeks is even more challenging.
If he accomplished nothing more than putting this issue on state and national lawmakers' radar,
(I attended a workshop which included this organism and several more in 2014.) it will have
been worth the trip to Harrisburg, though we do urge officials to find funding right away to
combat the pest and research ways to eradicate it. (The only way this pest will be eradicated is
if a native organism or organism system will form to do so. This will take time. The brown
marmorated stink bug is under control now in an incredibly short time in ecological terms.)

85. Right now the problem is largely unknown outside this region. (This problem is known as an
emerging problem by APHIS, EPA and professional ecological organizations, including one I
belong to, MAIPC.) Leinbach is making a persuasive argument that it won't be long before it
spreads to other states unless something is done swiftly. Each year the number of lanternflies
grows, more eggs are laid, and the numbers keep multiplying. Leinbach said the number of
lanternflies is approaching 1 trillion. (Wow. Definitely too late to act with an estimated number
this big.)
"If we are not successful," the commissioner argued, "not only will Pennsylvania face
quarantines, the United States could face quarantines because Canada, South America, Mexico
and Europe are watching it." (Then the problem is known outside this region. A quarantine will
not stop this insect's spread across international borders with all the trucks it can hitchhike on.)
Leinbach told the panel the plan is to prepare 40,000 trap trees in the spring. A notch would be
cut around certain trees to seep sap and attract the insects. (The trap trees will be Ailanthus
altissima, the larval food. Wound this tree wrongly and expect dozens of clones in response. I did
my MS Ecology on this tree.) The trap trees would be treated with pesticide. Money is needed to
execute this plan.