DETROIT, Mich. — The invasive spotted lanternfly has now been confirmed in eight Michigan counties, with Wayne, Oakland and Macomb among them, and Michigan State University Extension used a Monday appearance to update residents on how the pest has spread over the past year.
Southeast Michigan is still the core of the problem. Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Lenawee and Jackson counties already had confirmed populations before the bug turned up in Washtenaw County. This fall the state agriculture department also confirmed a colony near Niles in Berrien County, the first one found in southwest Michigan.
The insect was first detected in the state in 2022. It feeds on more than 70 kinds of plants and favors tree of heaven, an invasive tree of its own. Big infestations are a nuisance around homes, and the bug can damage crops, with grapes and hops at the most risk, a concern for vineyards along the Lake Michigan shore.
It spreads mostly by hitching rides. Adults and egg masses travel on cars, outdoor gear and firewood, so the state asks people to check vehicles and equipment before leaving an infested area. Egg masses look like smears of old gray chewing gum, roughly 1.5 inches long, and are easiest to find from September through May. Adults, about an inch long with spotted gray wings that flash red and yellow when open, are most visible through October.
MSU researchers have a cheap tool homeowners can build. A wrap-around lampshade trap placed on a tree gives females a sheltered spot to lay eggs, and in two years of trials roughly 80% of the egg masses found at study sites ended up on the traps. Each mass holds 30 to 50 eggs, and soaking them in soapy water at season end keeps them from hatching.
Sightings should be reported through the DNR Eyes in the Field tool or a local MSU Extension office. Public reports matter: one led to the confirmation of the Jackson County population in 2025, a year when the state agriculture department logged nearly 700 lanternfly reports from residents.
Filed under: Grand Rapids MI Home & Garden News
