Sydney Beiting, slated for an office on the 2026-2027 Ohio FFA State Officer Team, talks with Cole Bauman of the Ohio Ag Net.
Ohio
How bad were spotted lanternflies in Ohio this year? Here’s the season’s overview
Spotted lanternfly smash at Scioto Audobon Metro Park
See the spotted lanternfly smash at Scioto Audobon Metro Park.
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.
“This one’s off the charts in terms of getting help from the public,” Kenny said.
Egg-mass scraping efforts, often coordinated by OSU Extension and local parks, are especially effective. Stone said destroying a single egg mass typically kills 30 to 50 nymphs.
Stone said a statewide “Big Scrape” effort is underway now to destroy egg masses and log progress.
Both experts said removing tree-of-heaven — the lanternfly’s preferred host plant — is one of the best long-term tactics for reducing populations.
“If folks aren’t familiar with what a tree of heaven is, it is an invasive plant,” Kenny said. “Look out for ways to control that tree to help suppress lanternfly growth.”
What to expect moving into winter
Both experts emphasized that Ohio is still early in its infestation timeline.
“It’s going to get worse before it gets better,” Stone said. That’s what happened in Pennsylvania.
“It was just last year or the year before when they saw a natural decline and they had nearly a decade of heavy infestation before that.”
Egg masses survive the winter, meaning 2026 populations will depend on:
- How many eggs were laid this fall
- How many were scraped or destroyed
- Winter temperatures
- How much the infestation spreads into new counties
The state Agriculture Department expects the insects to continue expanding next year but says increased awareness and public reporting create meaningful pressure on the population.
“For the public, it’s important for them to know it’s probably going to be a nuisance factor,” Stone said. “But we all must help improve the agricultural arena.”
Trending reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@dispatch.com.
Ohio
A talk with incoming Ohio FFA State Officer Sydney Beiting – Ohio Ag Net | Ohio’s Country Journal
Check Also
At the 2026 Ohio FFA Convention on April 30, four FFA members were recognized for …
The Cleveland Browns broke ground on Thursday for their $2.6 billion domed stadium project in Brook Park, which is set to open for the 2029 NFL season. Gov. Mike DeWine joined team owner Jimmy Haslam, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and others to celebrate construction on the project, which actually began last month.
The three shared the stage at the groundbreaking to take questions about the project. Haslam said he sat down with DeWine’s team two years ago to talk through what the state’s role might be in funding the project.
“I’ll be quite honest, my goal was to be supportive of this and do what we could at the state level because we needed state money. But you also have the Haslam organization putting a ton of money into this thing as well, and that’s sometimes something that is forgotten,” DeWine said. “The state for the last 30 to 35, 40 years has participated in in the building of new stadiums, new ballparks. We’ve also participated in renovations. We were as clear we’re going to do that, and it’s the right thing for us to do.”
The state kicked in $600 million toward the stadium through the budget signed last year, with the Haslam Sports Group promising to repay the money over 30 years. DeWine’s initial idea had been to raise the money for the Browns’ stadium and other sports facilities projects through a tax on sports gambling operators.
“The legislature didn’t go along with that. But what they did do is they came up with another plan, and it’s a plan that also does not interfere with the money we need for education and all the other things that we want. So that’s what makes this work,” DeWine said.
Republican lawmakers replaced DeWine’s idea of taxing sports gambling companies with a plan to use unclaimed funds. Several of those lawmakers were also at the groundbreaking.
“We came up with a plan that’s going to ensure that Ohio will will continue to be number one in sports for decades and decades and decades,” DeWine said. “That money is going to be there to help not only build this stadium, it’s going to be there to help other our other sports facilities around the state.”
DeWine said the stadium project will bring jobs and economic development, and the domed facility will bring more entertainment to contribute to the quality of life in Ohio.
“We do not currently have a covered stadium in the state of Ohio. We don’t have anything like this in the state of Ohio. We needed this in the state of Ohio. It was about time. And we’re moving forward,” DeWine said. “It’s a great win for the state of Ohio.”
A state and federal court battle is holding up the transfer of $1 billion of those unclaimed funds into a sports and cultural facilities fund, to pay the $600 million pledged to the Browns and $400 million for 14 sports operations that have applied for a share of the fund. The Haslam Sports Group could pay the money during the legal fight to keep construction on track.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Ohio’s term limits are set to create turnover in state government, but as the state heads toward November elections with open seats across the top offices, many of the same political figures are positioning themselves to stay in power by moving into different roles.
In 2027, Ohio will have a new governor as Gov. Mike DeWine reaches the end of his second term. With term limits affecting multiple statewide offices, the upcoming election cycle is shaping up as a round of political musical chairs.
The Ohio Constitution mandates term limits for state officeholders such as governor and attorney general. Voters also approved term limits in 1992 for state representatives and state senators. But instead of consistently producing new faces in Columbus, the limits have often led to officeholders shifting from one position to another.
- Several prominent Republicans are already lined up for new races:
- Republican Keith Faber, term-limited as auditor, is running for attorney general.
- Frank LaRose, term-limited as secretary of state, is running for auditor.
- Robert Sprague, term-limited as treasurer, is running for secretary of state.
- Two term-limited legislators — former state Rep. Jay Edwards and term-limited state Sen. Kristina Roegner — are facing off in the primary for treasurer.
Catherine Turcer of Common Cause Ohio said the original intent behind term limits was to bring new lawmakers into the Statehouse.
“When we thought about the need for term limits, there was the sense, hey, we want to refresh the Statehouse,” Turcer said. “And that doesn’t happen when legislators go from one chamber to the other.”
Republican strategist Terry Casey said the current dynamic reflects competing voter preferences.
“The public wants people experienced, but they also want turnover and change,” Casey said. “So this is kind of an unusual quirk that hasn’t happened previously in history. But again, do you want experience or do you want fresh faces? In reality, the public wants both.”
Undated file image of voters. The next election in Ohio is Tuesday, May 5, 2026 (WSYX)
Turcer said experience can be valuable, but she argued voters also wanted to prevent long-term consolidation of political influence.
“One of the things that voters really didn’t want was the accumulation of power,” Turcer said.
She pointed to Matt Huffman as an example. Huffman served as president of the Senate, and when he was term-limited there, he ran for the Ohio House in 2024. He won and then became House speaker.
“So that’s not just jumping from one chamber to the other,” Turcer said. “That’s bringing along the political power and the long-term career that you have.”
While proposals occasionally surface to change Ohio’s term-limit rules, there are no active efforts underway, meaning the pattern of candidates moving from one office to another is likely to continue.
-
New York1 hour ago9-Year-Old Hit and Killed by School Bus in Brooklyn
-
Detroit, MI2 hours agoWhere to watch Detroit Pistons vs. Orlando Magic Game 6 NBA playoffs: Live stream, start time, TV channel, odds for Friday, May 1
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoChonkers the Gigantic Steller Sea Lion Draws Crowds to Pier 39
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoDallas firefighter injured in early‑morning house fire expected to recover
-
Miami, FL2 hours agoMax Verstappen: Red Bull Miami updates have “almost halved” gap to F1 frontrunners
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoJazzy Francik tosses no-hitter as FSU softball run-rules Boston College
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoHundreds targeted by Denver text scam show up for fake court hearing
-
Seattle, WA3 hours agoSeahawks rookie minicamp tryout players revealed