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.
HAMDEN, Ohio (AP) — The 16 children found living in “deplorable” conditions inside a small, dilapidated rural Ohio home are part of the same family, officials said Wednesday.
Authorities arrested four adults Tuesday on felony child endangerment charges after finding the children in the home. Some were in dire need of medical treatment, authorities said.
Vinton County prosecuting attorney William Archer said the four adults were charged with second-degree felony child endangering because it involves “serious physical harm.”
Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders appeared in court Wednesday where a judge entered not guilty pleas on their behalf.. They have not yet been assigned lawyers.
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said Wednesday that the conditions inside the house in the tiny village of Hamden were almost indescribable, saying it “really looked third world.”
“It’s just almost beyond comprehension,” he said without providing details about what was inside.
It appeared that the children spent most of their time in just one room for much of the four years they lived there, Wilson said.
The house sits on a road tucked away alongside a steep railroad embankment, where tracks carry rumbling trains through Hamden. On Wednesday, its doors and windows stood open to the 94-degree Fahrenheit (34-degree Celsius) heat. A tangle of discarded children’s items — two busted bicycles, a plastic play table, a beach pail and two infant carriers — stood in a pile in the yard.
The Ohio Bureau of Investigation and local sheriff’s department searched the home on Tuesday.
The children ranged in age from 1 1/2 years to 18 years old and included both boys and girls, officials said. Seven were transported to hospitals in Columbus and two were flown by helicopters.
Hamden has a population of less than 1,000 people and is about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southeast of Columbus.
___
Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.
Authorities arrested four adults on felony child endangerment charges after discovering 16 children in dire need of medical treatment Tuesday in a rural southern Ohio home.
The Ohio Bureau of Investigation and local sheriff’s department searched a home in the small village of Hamden, where they found the kids in what officials called “deplorable” conditions.”
“Conditions you cannot even imagine people being in, let alone children being in,” Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said at a news conference.
Law enforcement arrested Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders. They have not yet been arraigned and assigned public defenders.
Vinton County prosecuting attorney William Archer said they were being charged with second-degree felony child endangering because it involves “serious physical harm.”
Officials did not confirm if the children were related but said it was not a human trafficking situation. They said the adults were not locals and appeared to have been traveling.
Hamden has a population of less than 1,000 people and is about 60 miles southeast of Columbus.
The children ranged from ages 1.5 to 18 and included both boys and girls, officials said. Several were in serious conditions when found, and two had to be flown to level one trauma centers because of their injuries.
Wilson said it was the worst scene he had ever encountered in his entire career, describing what he saw as “pure evil.”
Law enforcement were also executing a secondary search warrant at the home Tuesday, and the investigation is ongoing. The four adults will appear in court Wednesday morning.
“Justice will be served for these children,” Wilson said.
UPDATE 6/30/26 @ 6:30 p.m.
VINTON COUNTY, Ohio (WSAZ) – Four people are in custody Tuesday after a search found 16 children inside a home in the Hamden area of Vinton County, officials said during a news conference.
“This is pure evil what we saw down here today,” said Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson, who described it as one of the worst scenes he has ever seen.
It happened in the 100 block of Ohmer Street.
Two children had to be life-flighted to trauma centers, and the victims are being treated at hospitals throughout Ohio.
Their ages range from one and a half to 18 years old.
“Lives were in danger,” officials said during the news conference, saying it has been a long-term investigation.
They said there is a secondary investigation underway at the property.
The suspects are set to be arraigned at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in Vinton County Common Pleas Court.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office, the Vinton County Sheriff’s Office, the Vinton County Prosecutor’s Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation are among the investigators.
We have a crew at the scene working to get more details. Keep checking the WSAZ app for the latest.
ORIGINAL STORY
VINTON COUNTY, Ohio (WSAZ) – A news conference is scheduled Tuesday evening about a search warrant that was executed at a home in the Hamden area of Vinton County.
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson’s office made that announcement, saying the news conference is scheduled at 6 p.m. in McArthur, Ohio.
Along with Wilson, Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain, Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer and members of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation are set to attend the news conference.
The search warrant was executed at a home along Ohmer Street, with a heavy law enforcement presence reported throughout the day.
Additional details are unavailable now, but we have a crew headed to the scene.
Keep checking the WSAZ app for the latest.
Copyright 2026 WSAZ. All rights reserved.
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