Spotted lanternfly is now established in Maryland, including all of Harford County. Here is what Bel Air homeowners should know about the bug, the damage, and the realistic response.
Quick answer: do spotted lanternflies kill trees?
Spotted lanternflies rarely kill mature healthy trees on their own. They weaken trees, cause sap loss, attract sooty mold, and can kill young trees, grapevines, and the invasive tree of heaven (which is, ironically, their preferred host).
Where the spotted lanternfly is in Maryland
All of Harford County is inside the Maryland Department of Agriculture quarantine zone as of 2026. Bel Air, Fallston, and the rest of the county all have established populations.
Trees at highest risk in Maryland
Tree of heaven (Ailanthus), grapevines, black walnut, silver and red maple, willow, river birch, and young fruit trees. Mature oaks and most hardwoods tolerate lanternfly damage.
Signs your tree has lanternfly damage
Visible egg masses (looks like dried mud) on bark, weeping or oozing sap, a sticky honeydew layer at the base of the tree, sooty mold growth on trunks and on plants below the tree, and active lanternfly populations on the trunk.
The honeydew problem
Lanternflies excrete sticky honeydew that coats everything below the tree. Honeydew grows sooty mold (a black fungus) on cars, decks, patios, and other plants. The mold is the most visible homeowner-level damage.
What to do if you find them
Stomp adults. Scrape and destroy egg masses October through May. Remove tree of heaven from your property. Avoid sticky bands without wildlife guards (they kill birds and small mammals).
Treatment options
Trap trees, systemic insecticides (oak-only), targeted spray treatments. DIY rarely controls a yard population. Most homeowners get better results from removing tree of heaven and doing yard cleanup. Our yard work crew handles brush and tree-of-heaven removal.
Why DIY usually fails
Adult lanternflies fly. New populations move in from neighbor properties. Without removing the host (tree of heaven), spraying is a yearly losing battle.
Maryland Department of Agriculture reporting
Report sightings to MDA at mda.maryland.gov. Follow USDA APHIS quarantine guidance when moving outdoor items between counties.
Long-term outlook for Maryland trees
Lanternfly populations cycle. Year 2–3 after arrival is the peak. After that, native predators and parasitic wasps reduce populations to background levels. Pennsylvania has already passed the peak in many counties.
About the Author
Green Hive Crew is part of the Green Hive Landscaping team in Fallston, Maryland. We do this work every day across Bel Air and Harford County. If something here did not match your situation, call us — we will walk it with you.
