Spotted Lanternflies have hatched

This week the Spotted Lanternflies (SLF) hatched. Tiny nymphs are crawling everywhere on the vines. They are actually kind of pretty. But they also suck. They feed on vine sap with piercing-sucking mouthparts. Because they are so small at this stage of their development, they don't do much damage. At least that is what we are told by the entomologists.

This is the first year of major SLF infestation for our region. Fortunately for us, winegrowers up in Pennsylvania and New Jersey have had to deal with them since 2014. Winegrowers are generous about sharing information. Through visits and phone conversations, we now have the advantage of knowledge. SLF numbers often belie the damage that they actually do to the vines. There are now guidelines as to how many SLF per vine is tolerable.

So for now we do nothing.

Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Hardscrabble Journal: May 3, 2024