• Spotted lanternfly populations have spread farther and appeared in greater numbers across Ohio this season.
• Public involvement, such as scraping egg masses, has played a significant role in managing the infestation.
• Experts warn that the infestation is expected to worsen in Ohio before it improves.

Frostbite was the bitter end for many spotted lanternflies this month as cold weather finally settled into Ohio. But even as the adults die off, the impact of the invasive insects was hard to miss this season. And experts say the worst may still be ahead.

From growing quarantine zones to thick clusters on trees in metro parks, Ohio has been besieged by the spotted lanternfly season since the insect arrived in 2020.

Official end-of-year counts are not yet available, according to the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

In Franklin County, the Agriculture Department’s Ohio Plant Pest Reporter had 1,449 reports of lanternflies in 2024 and 2,102 this year. Statewide that number decreased from 16,449 reports last year to 14,690 in 2025.

Those reports aren’t confirmed, though, and state experts say lanternflies have spread farther, appeared in greater numbers and drawn an unprecedented level of public attention.

Here’s a look at what Ohio saw in 2025 and what to expect next year.

The infestation grows

Dan Kenny, plant health division chief for the state Agriculture Department, said there was “for sure an uptick” in lanternfly proliferation across the state this year.

Kenny said the insects’ most visible stage is in August, when adults cluster on trees, buildings and outdoor structures. But the infestation begins far earlier — nymphs emerge in May in stages that resemble ticks or beetles, making them easy to overlook.

Since the state’s first detection in 2020, lanternflies have become fully established in eastern Ohio and the continue spreading west. Kenny said they are already a nuisance for many homeowners there.

Ohio State University Extension invasive-species educator Amy Stone confirmed the statewide trend.

“Populations have spread to more areas, and in specific areas populations have risen. The general public is noticing more in their backyard or in places they frequent,” Stone said.

Stone noted heavy activity this year in parts of downtown Toledo.

“This is more of a public-facing pest,” she said. “They can show up in stadiums, high-rise apartments — anywhere.”

On the local level, metro parks like Scioto Audubon Metro Park, which recently held a lanternfly smash, said they’ve noticed more sap left from the insects on more of their trees.

What kind of damage did lanternflies cause this season?

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has said repeated lanternfly feeding can stress trees and make them more vulnerable to disease. Park rangers in Columbus reported an increase this year in honeydew — sticky secretion lanternflies produce while feeding — and sooty mold, which grows on honeydew-covered surfaces.

Kenny said the state has not documented major crop losses in Ohio so far.

“We haven’t seen crop damage per se anywhere,” Kenny said. “But I’m sure they have the ability to damage crops. Growers have been worried about this for a while — especially grape growers and other specialty crop growers.”

Stone said the broader agricultural picture is still concerning.

For beekeepers, she said, honeydew can contaminate hives.

“Lanternflies are prolific honeydew producers,” Stone said. “Bees take that honeydew back to the hive, which changes the color and taste.”

Stone also stressed the impact on vineyards and maple producers — two industries closely monitoring lanternfly spread.

Could public response stop the invasion?

Kenny and Stone said public buy-in has been key to fighting the insect’s proliferation in Ohio.