The spotted lanternfly was found for the first time in North Carolina in Forsyth County in June 2022, and as of 2025, infestations are now found in Caldwell County
The spotted lanternfly is a pest that was introduced to the US from Asia and was first found in Berks County, Pennsylvania in 2014. Spotted lanternfly is unlikely to feed on Christmas trees, but they can lay their eggs on the trunks and branches of Christmas trees. In the fall, they may also shelter in Christmas trees when the weather is cold. The presence of a living or dead adult, or egg cases in cut Christmas trees, would stop their shipment to states and counties where the pest is not currently found.
SLF is not a federally regulated pest. However, as the regulations stand currently (July 2025), if you farm in a county with an established SLF infestation, you must be under a compliance agreement with NC Department of Ag to ship Christmas trees to California, and the California-bound shipment will need to transit with a Regulatory Official’s letter. These regulations can change at any time. Therefore, it’s best to prevent SLF from finding its preferred host, Tree of Heaven, on your farm to lower your chances of your trees having any SLF tag-alongs no matter where your trees are destined.
Now is the time to prioritize removing Tree of Heaven from your property. Cutting the tree is not enough to stop the tree from re-sprouting. Pesticide applications using a hack-and-squirt technique have been found to be more successful. Tree of Heaven has some look-alikes such as staghorn sumac and black walnut. If you are unsure, please contact your local extension agent to help with identification.Online Information - North Carolina
Spotted Lanternfly Factsheet - NC State Extension fact sheet on spotted lanternfly.
NC State University Resource Page on Spotted Lanternfly - NC State Extension Gardener information on spotted lanternfly including links to information at Penn State and other Universities
NC Forest Service Forest Health Notes on Spotted Lanternfly - good summary on identification and control of spotted lanternfly
NC State Extension article on first infestation of spotted lanternfly in North Carolina.Other Online Information:
Cornell University: Introduction, Native Range, and Current US Range - of the spotted lanternfly
Penn State Extension: Spotted Lanternfly - including training for permits
Penn State Extension: Tree-of-Heaven - how to recognize and control tree-of-heaven
