[Instructor] You can prevent the emergence of spotted lanternfly by eliminating their egg clusters.

Spotted lanternfly deposit their eggs in the autumn, and the initial instar nymphs emerge beginning in May.

Hence, the optimal period to locate and eliminate viable egg masses is during the winter season until the beginning of spring.

Spotted lanternflies will lay their eggs on almost any flat surface nearby, including outdoors stored equipment and rocks, as well as branches and tree trunks.

Once you locate them, eradicating them is simple.

Let’s observe how.

So this is what seems to be as fresh as you can get on an egg cluster.

Here’s an egg cluster that has been laid in the past few weeks.

And you can observe the eggs protruding out from beneath here.

And then here are a few more unspoiled, undiscovered eggs.

These identical clusters of eggs will appear as cracked, pale beige, or possibly gray patches of mud on trees, which you will observe as they gradually dry out towards the end of winter or the start of spring.

There are approximately 30 or 50 eggs in each of these clusters of eggs.

And by applying enough pressure to them, you’ll pop them and kill the nymphs that are gestating inside, that are growing inside.

I am going to sit here and take out my handy card scraper, but what I really need to do is press down firmly.

And you can hear the sound of those eggs bursting and you can see the juice oozing out, correct?

So that simply implies that we have accomplished a commendable task of eradicating those young insects for the upcoming year.

If you are unable to effectively scrape those eggs and truly extract the juice, those egg masses are still capable of developing.

When you do this, make sure you hear that popping sound and really wanna press down. That’s one of the reasons why.

In order to eliminate the eggs, I will collect an egg cluster and transfer it to a bag filled with hand sanitizer. Presently, I possess an egg cluster.

You can fill your baggy with either hand sanitizer or alcohol, as long as the eggs come into contact with the liquid when you scrape them into the bag.

That will ensure you eliminate them.

So here I’m carrying my bag directly underneath, and I’ll place my scraper card here on the top.

And simply by using the elongated side, I will gently remove an egg cluster downwards.

And you can sort of see that I destroyed some of those eggs regardless.

And then I will sit here and close the bag.

Ensure that you bring all those eggs indoors.