Stopping Spotted Lanternflies Before They Return

Now is one of the best times of the year to stop that bad new bug, the spotted lanternfly, before it gets started. This imported bug with the 70-plant appetite (especially grapes and maple, walnut, birch, beech, cherry, and willow trees) is currently in its overwintering egg stage.
 
Lanternfly egg masses look like a gray smear of mud with a waxy covering. Scout your property to see if any egg masses are on tree trunks, firewood, stones, outdoor furniture, or for that matter, any solid, flat surface.
 
By smashing or otherwise getting rid of the masses, you can eliminate anywhere from 30 to 50 new lanternflies per mass. Penn State Extension recommends scraping the egg masses into jars or plastic bags with a small amount of alcohol or hand sanitizer in order to kill the eggs. Just scraping them off and letting the masses drop to the ground won't do the trick.