Protect Your Landscape from Spotted Lanternflies & Box Tree Moths: Emerging Threats for Pennsylvania Homeowners

Your landscape is one of the biggest investments you make in your home—but it's also under constant attack from invasive insects.

While many homeowners are familiar with the spotted lanternfly, a newer pest is beginning to raise concern across the region: the box tree moth. Both insects have the potential to cause significant damage to valuable landscape plants if left unmanaged.

At Lang's Lawn Care & Pest Control, our Plant Health Care program helps homeowners throughout Chester, Montgomery, and Delaware Counties monitor for invasive pests and protect the trees and shrubs that make their landscapes beautiful.
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Spotted Lanternflies Continue to Threaten Pennsylvania Landscapes

Since first being discovered in Berks County in 2014, the spotted lanternfly has spread throughout Pennsylvania and remains an ongoing concern for homeowners and businesses. These invasive insects feed on plant sap, weakening trees and other landscape plants over time. As they feed, they produce a sticky substance known as honeydew, which encourages the growth of black sooty mold and attracts additional nuisance insects like ants and wasps.

Although spotted lanternflies rarely kill mature trees on their own, heavy infestations can stress plants, reduce vigor, and create unsightly conditions around your property.

Common host plants include:

• Tree-of-heaven
• Maple trees
• Birch trees
• Willow trees
• Walnut trees
• Grapevines
• Many ornamental trees and shrubs

If you've noticed large numbers of spotted lanternflies gathering on tree trunks, patios, fences, or outdoor furniture, it's time to have your property evaluated.
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A New Invasive Pest: Box Tree Moth

Another invasive insect beginning to concern landscape professionals is the box tree moth.

Unlike the spotted lanternfly, which feeds on many different plants, the box tree moth specifically targets boxwoods—one of the most popular ornamental shrubs found in residential landscapes.

The caterpillars feed aggressively on boxwood leaves and bark, often stripping entire shrubs of foliage in a short period of time. Severe infestations can completely defoliate plants, leaving them weakened or even killing them after repeated attacks. Recent detections in nearby Mid-Atlantic states have increased concern about the pest's continued spread.
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Signs Your Boxwoods May Be Under Attack

Watch for symptoms such as:

• Chewed or skeletonized leaves
• Silk webbing throughout the shrub
• Green caterpillars with black stripes
• Large amounts of leaf loss
• Browning or thinning foliage
• Defoliation starting inside the shrub

Because damage often begins within the dense interior of the plant, many homeowners don't notice a problem until significant injury has already occurred.
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Why Early Detection Matters

Whether it's spotted lanternflies or box tree moths, early intervention is one of the most effective ways to protect your landscape.

Regular inspections allow problems to be identified before insect populations explode and before permanent damage occurs. Catching infestations early often means treatments are more effective while reducing stress on valuable ornamental plants.
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Our Plant Health Care Program Protects More Than Just Your Lawn

Many homeowners invest heavily in beautiful trees, shrubs, and ornamental plantings but don't realize they require ongoing protection just like their lawn.

Lang's Plant Health Care program includes routine monitoring for insects, diseases, and environmental stress while providing targeted treatments when necessary to help maintain healthy, attractive landscapes throughout the growing season.

Our trained technicians inspect your landscape for signs of:

• Invasive insects
• Feeding damage
• Plant diseases
• Environmental stress
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Shrub and tree health concerns
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Protect Your Landscape Investment

Your lawn isn't the only part of your property that deserves professional care.

If you've noticed spotted lanternflies around your home, have valuable boxwoods you'd like to protect, or simply want peace of mind knowing your landscape is being monitored by professionals, Lang's Lawn Care & Pest Control is here to help.

Our Plant Health Care specialists provide proactive inspections and treatments designed to keep your landscape healthy, vibrant, and protected from some of Pennsylvania's most destructive invasive pests.

Contact Lang's Lawn Care & Pest Control today to learn more about our Plant Health Care program and schedule a landscape evaluation.

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