Spotted lanternfly in Uxbridge!

The Mass. Dept. of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) recently confirmed an infestation of the invasive insect known as spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula or “SLF”) in Uxbridge. A survey team was following up on reports from the public that came in during October and confirmed that the insects were present. We do not yet know the full extent of the infestation - only a preliminary survey has been done so far.

Spotted lanternfly is a pest that attacks tree-of-heaven, grapevines, maple trees, hop vines, and many other types of plants. This pest is known to impact grape/wine producers and other agricultural commodities, and can also interfere with outdoor recreation if infestations reach high levels, due to the swarming behavior of adult SLF in late summer and fall. That said, the insects themselves do not bite or sting - they are a nuisance because they gather in large numbers in areas where people are, and cover anything they are on with a sticky, sugary waste product known as honeydew.

You or other municipal staff may see our surveyors (MDAR and/or USDA staff) periodically through the fall and winter, checking trees in the area to determine the extent of the infestation. If you are able, we encourage you to reach out to residents and businesses to ask them to report any sightings of this pest. You can do this by linking to our SLF web page and by printing and displaying our poster (in English, Portuguese, or Spanish).

We also now have a series of animated Public Service Announcements about spotted lanternfly that are on our YouTube channel, or you can download them off of our SLF website for airing on your own access channels. If you would like free copies of our Spotted Lanternfly fact sheets, ID cards, or any of the above guides to distribute, just let me know.