Circle traps can be purchased commercially or can be a do-it-yourself project. A detailed guide on how to build a trap can be found on the Penn State Extension website at https://extension.psu.edu/how-to-build-a-new-style-spotted-lanternfly-circle-trap.
Leach said another trapping method is sticky bands, which can be purchased from hardware stores or garden centers and often are sold as flypaper. A danger of using sticky bands is that they can trap nontarget animals, including beneficial insects, small mammals, birds and lizards.
“If you use a sticky band, you should check it frequently and use a wildlife barrier to prevent bycatch,” Leach said. The best way to do this is to build a guard over the band using vinyl mesh netting to prevent animals from getting stuck on the sticky surface. She advises against the use of chicken wire as a barrier because small birds and pollinators can get through the larger holes.
There also is a commercially available band that uses a white fiber material to hold the inward-facing sticky side of the band away from the trunk of the tree. This creates a protected sticky surface, which reduces the potential of catching birds and other animals.
“If you capture an animal, cover any exposed sticky material with plastic wrap or tissue paper to reduce additional entanglement, remove the band from the tree as carefully as possible, and take the animal to a wildlife rehabilitation center,” Leach said. A listing of centers can be found at the Pennsylvania Association of Wildlife Rehabilitators website.
While circle traps and sticky bands are common management methods, Leach has heard from several citizens who have developed their own nonchemical traps.
“These creative folks provide evidence that building traps is a good project for anyone who wants to destroy spotted lanternfly, save money by using materials they have on hand, and practice their engineering skills,” Leach said.
One of those imaginative people is Adrian Smith, of Montgomery County, who after trying various methods to control spotted lanternfly on his property last year, decided to make his own tree trap using a milk jug, 2-inch masking tape, a clear plastic bag, aluminum foil and push pins.
“Not everyone can afford $500 for tree spraying or drenching from professionals,” he said. “My trap is cheap and easy to build. The ones I have installed have decimated the nymph population to the point where I am seeing only five or six lanternflies a day. Another bonus is that my traps catch very few unintended insects.”