2026 May 24 The Milkweed Solution to Spotted Lanternfly?

An invasive Spotted Lanternfly nymph on my Concord Grape leaf.

My Concord Grape vines and native Riverbank Grape Vitis riparia vines are loving the cool, wet spring this year! Unfortunately, they are riddled again with the invasive Spotted Lanternflies. It makes me sad because last year’s grapes were pitiful, compared to the year before. Spotted Lanternflies suck liquid out of leaves and vines, weakening them to the point that the fruit they bear is shriveled. It’s hard to see your once-thriving vines wither to nothing. This year I’m also seeing Lanternflies on the blackberries and even my new Witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana bush! 

See the transparent spots in the Riverbank Grape leaf? As the Spotted Lanternflies get larger, they suck more and more life out of the leaves and vines causing the whole plant to wither by late summer harvest time.

I’ve heard through the grapevine that Lanternflies are attracted to milkweed, but die from the poisonous milk. A rogue Riverbank grape in the front yard was full of them, so I pulled it out. It was an odd choice of plant for the front yard anyway. Today I noticed every Common Milkweed Asclepias syriaca plant out front had several Spotted Lanternflies on them! “Good!” I thought as I refrained from smushing them. 

Spotted Lanternflies lining up on the underside of a Common Milkweed leaf.

Only time and careful observation will tell if this is the solution to the invasion. 

Now I’m looking for research and getting mixed results. It appears there is anecdotal evidence of the milkweed killing Spotted Lanternflies, but I’m not seeing any peer reviewed studies. I will be following up with my observations this summer. So far, I’ve left them to eat the milkweed. I’m not worried about the milkweed since it seems its main purpose is to be chewed up and gobbled by insects. It’ll live no matter who eats it. Updates to come.

A video of baby opossums enjoying the grape harvest in 2024!