Delaware
Spotted lanternfly season is back. Here’s how to help get rid of them in Delaware
Spotted lanternflies congregate on grapevines
This undated video provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture shows adult spotted lanternflies on grapevines in Berks County.
PROVIDED BY PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, PROVIDED BY PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
As summer reaches an official end, invasive pest problems are still raging on around the Delaware area, specifically the spotted lanternfly.
Here’s what to know about spotted lanternflies in Delaware, and how to manage and report them.
What is the Spotted lanternfly?
Spotted lanternflies are no stranger to the Delaware area. Native to Asian countries like China, Vietnam and India, the invasive pests were first discovered in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in 2014.
Spotted lanternfly nymphs are usually between one-eighth inch and one-half inch in size with white-spotted black bodies that change to red as they age. Adults are around 1 inch in length and feed on both woody and non-woody plants, including trees and a variety of plant species.
Even though their lifespan is roughly only one year, these pests reproduce quickly and in high quantities. According to PestWorld, the spotted lanternfly tends to lay its eggs on flat surfaces, and can typically lay an average of 30 to 50 eggs at a time. One pregnant female spotted lanternfly can lay upward of 200 eggs before the peak season ends.
Egg masses of spotted lanternflies are trickier to spot, but may be more crucial to destroy. They usually take on a light tan shade that can easily blend in with tree bark or smudges of dirt that can range up to around 1-2 inches wide.
While they pose no threat to humans directly, they put many major agricultural products and other plants in danger. A host of spotted lanternflies has the ability to deplete entire crops or trees of their resources and leave residue that prevents the crops like apples, cherries, grapes, peaches and trees like walnut, pine, oak and willows from growing back.
The Delaware Department of Agriculture has called the spotted lanternfly “detrimental to Delaware’s agricultural industries, the environment and residential areas.”
The tree of heaven
The tree of heaven, a deceptively named invasive plant commonly found on the U.S. East Coast, seems to be the habitat of choice for spotted lanternflies. Experts advise that removing these types of trees is the best bet of eliminating local lanternfly populations at their source.
The first step in removing this species is making sure it is correctly identified because they can be easily confused for native trees like sumac or black walnuts.
Trees of heaven typically grow in clusters and have extremely high tolerance to poor soil quality. According to the Delaware Department of Agriculture, this tree is often found in industrial parks, along highways and railways and in unmanaged areas or vacant lots. They have a gray bark with vertical lines and leaflets that grow long, green and white flowers in the spring.
Eliminating the female trees, which can be identified with its winged seedpods, will eliminate them as a potential food source for spotted lanternflies. However, a method that experts recommend is planting a male tree of heaven that does not have seeds as a “trap tree.” If these trap trees are treated with insecticide, they can lure and kill spotted lanternfly populations that try and inhabit them.
Another tree threat: Box tree moth, lethal to boxwoods, found in one county in Delaware, USDA confirms
Removal of trees of heaven can be a heavy burden, since their roots have been reported to grow over 25 feet underground and rapidly repopulate even if the parent tree is killed. To ensure a tree is killed, consult an arborist for best practices, which may involve treating the tree with herbicide.
Getting rid of spotted lanternflies
Delaware’s Department of Agriculture has placed the entire state on a quarantine for the invasive species since July 2022. The department urges residents to kill lanternflies immediately and report it so that the state’s pest control specialists can track its spread.
Although lanternflies are winged, they can only fly short distances and primarily jump or walk, which make them pretty easy targets to squish on your next walk.
According to the Department of Agriculture, the late summer months are the best time to systemically apply insecticide to reduce the lanternfly populations before egg masses are laid. Look for pesticides or insecticides that are specifically meant for plant-hoppers or leaf-hoppers.
If encountering an egg mass, the best method of removing it is scraping the mass off of the surface and properly destroying them. The Delaware Farm Bureau recommends scraping the egg masses into a bag of rubbing alcohol and disposing of them to prevent them from hatching in the future.
If an infestation is found on a tree, experts also recommend banding that tree to prevent disease from spreading. This can be done by wrapping a material like plastic, duct tape, butcher paper or other insulation around the trunk of the tree.
Consulting a pest specialist who has expertise in spotted lanternfly treatment is another way to ensure the infestation does not spread around your area. The Delaware Department of Agriculture keeps an online catalog of licensed ornamental and turf pesticide companies in different areas to peruse through.
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The department is also requesting that residents submit spotted lanternfly reports, especially around the Dover Air Force Base and around Sussex County, to help experts determine how these insects move. These reports can be submitted online, emailed to HitchHikerBug@delaware.gov or posted to social media with the hashtag #HitchHikerBug. Be sure to include your location, basic contact information and a photo.
Molly McVety covers community and environmental issues around Delaware. Contact her at mmcvety@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @mollymcvety.
Delaware Leaders Confront Crushing Utility Costs
Gov. Meyer urges PSC to freeze rates as Delaware tackles Delmarva’s returns, solar delays, data centers and nuclear options.
Between energy costs spiking last year and higher Delmarva Power electricity rates kicking off earlier this month, utility affordability remains top of mind for consumers and lawmakers.
In a press conference June 15, Gov. Matt Meyer called on the Public Service Commission to “freeze rates immediately” ahead of an interim hike set for July, as well as implement penalties for delayed action on solar power. The Democrat also announced he will join a petition to stop the “gouging” on ratepayers with the company’s 10.5% return on equity, or money invested in power infrastructure.
Delmarva Power said in a statement that afternoon it shares these affordability concerns, but investments have already been made to “strengthen reliability.” The company said it remains focused on efforts to drive down its supply costs, which it argues have driven 90% of consumer bill increases since 2024.
Meyer’s calls also join several bills passed last year and this session – ranging from rate regulations to expanding eligibility for energy credits – with many already signed into law. Yet, residents remain frustrated and unlikely to feel any impact quickly.
Looking even farther ahead, lawmakers are also still considering future energy sources to help relieve heavy consumer burden.
So, what have Delaware leaders done so far – and what’s left to tackle?
What legislation has passed, with more still on the table
There are 14 pieces of legislation centered on energy and utilities now filed in the General Assembly in 2026 alone, according to state Sen. Stephanie Hansen.
Some highlights include:
- Senate Bill 239, which lifts the 8% cap on net energy metering
- Senate Bill 326, which looks to limit Delmarva’s infrastructure spending, enhance rate transparency and utility communication and caps how much utilities can claim with interim rates, to name a few provisions. This bill builds off previous legislation signed into law last year, which limits yearly capital costs retrievable by Delmarva, as previously reported by Delaware Online/The News Journal.
- House Bill 310, which would exempt data centers from corporate tax breaks or fee reductions granted to new businesses under the state’s Blue Collar Jobs Act, according to Hansen, a co-sponsor of the bill.
- House Bill 233, which mandates certain utilities to set “a separate rate class” for large energy users. Primary bill sponsor Rep. Frank Burns told attendees during a June 15 press conference this bill would take all the expenses created by large-scale data centers, “puts them in a bucket” and ensures those centers pay that price. Without it, the Pike Creek Democrat said, Delawareans would see an estimated 80% increase on their electric bills.
Six of those bills – including Senate Bill 210, Senate Bill 239, Senate Bill 276, Senate Bill 321, House Bill 269 and House Concurrent Resolution 94 – have cleared both chambers.
Two of these bills, Senate Bill 210 and House Bill 269, were signed by Meyer earlier this spring, offering solutions related to interconnections.
Senate Bill 210 – also known as the legislature’s “interconnection bill,” according to Hansen – states that so long as a point of interconnection is located within the Delmarva Power region and under their jurisdiction, it can be connected. This will make room for 10 community solar-related projects, a total of roughly 30 megawatts, to come online with enough to power approximately 30,000 homes, said the Middletown Democrat.
In turn, House Bill 269 clarifies interconnection rules for electric suppliers must match with the most recent procedures from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.
On June 10, Meyer also signed Senate Bills 239 and 276 into law, removing the 8% cap and allowing electric cooperatives discretion to provide electricity to “large load” electric users.
Others, like House Bill 310, have managed to clear their chamber of origin, according to Hansen, while some have yet to appear before committee.
Lawmakers have also largely focused on cost and the potential impact of data centers.
These centers often require mass amounts of infrastructure to operate, such as coal and natural gas power plants, according to the Environmental and Energy Studies Institute. Additionally, because they have “an immense electricity demand,” they require new substations to function, which in turn can cost a lot of money to build, according to Russell Zerbo of the Clean Air Council.
As a result, lawmakers have not only focused on utility costs, but also how data centers could impact ratepayers and overall reliability, Hansen said.
Delaware has faced its own share of data center proposals. One proposal, called Project Washington, was set to occupy roughly 6 million square feet over two campuses in Delaware City, with approximately 11 buildings and several neighboring electrical fields.
The proposal faced a major setback, however, when the Coastal Zone Industrial Control Board upheld the state Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s decision to bar it this past spring.
What has been done in other states?
Faced with sky-high energy costs, Delaware’s neighbor states have sprung into action.
New Jersey has enacted several initiatives to address utility cost hikes. One of Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s first executive orders froze rate spikes and delivered ratepayer relief.
The second expanded programs to look into new power sources in-state, equating more power with lower costs.
Pennsylvania lawmakers introduced a legislative package with the goal of driving down energy costs on May 1. Efforts include data center regulations, updating the state’s electric grid and pushing for the development of “a virtual power plant,” as reported by the Pennsylvania Independent.
Fellow neighbor Maryland also enacted the Utility RELIEF Act, which aims to save residents at least $150 on energy bills on a yearly basis. The act also requires data centers to cover any expenses related to energy infrastructure adjustments, rather than let Maryland families take the fall.
Delaware similarly has two programs in place: the state Energy Fund and the Delmarva Customer Relief Fund.
The energy fund assists any eligible customers – not including Delmarva customers – if their income falls under 350% of the federal poverty level, or $55,860 for a one-person household.
In contrast, Delmarva’s relief fund provides upward of $500 via Energize Delaware and the United Way of Delaware. This is one of many relief funds and programs available designed to support lower-income consumers across the state.
Among the laws signed by Meyer last year included barring the use of consumer funds for non-utility-related purposes; mandating transparency regarding regional energy grid guidance participation; and ensuring consumers benefit from surplus energy credits.
However, because these bills were just signed into law last year, consumers most likely won’t see the results of some of these bills right away. It takes time to put these regulations in place, according to Dustyn Thompson of the Delaware chapter of the Sierra Club.
Hansen said in a statement that legislators understand supply and demand has been “crushing,” hence why the General Assembly has been acting to get these bills passed and onto Meyer’s desk as soon as possible.
“We’re trying to attack this from many different angles,” she continued during the June 15 press conference on the subject. These angles include direct assistance with paying bills – such as the energy fund – and a greater “systemic approach,” scaling back on how much money utilities ask to be recovered.
The same press conference saw Meyer announcing he will join a petition and call on the Public Service Commission to “freeze rates immediately,” as well as implement penalties for delayed action on solar power.
He also voiced support for several bills headed to his desk.
But the work is far from over.
What more can Delaware do?
While the priority has largely been on costs and data centers, legislators have also directed their attention to other available energy sources.
One effort has been the Delaware Nuclear Energy Feasibility Task Force. Established in 2025, this group is responsible for looking at the benefits, dependability and potential impact of using small modular reactors in the First State.
The task force is scheduled to present its final report by the end of July, detailing a direction for Delaware with this energy source, according to Hansen.
However, when it comes to this and other energy sources, a long road lies ahead.
Take offshore wind, for example. After much back-and-forth last session, lawmakers passed an effort that overturned the Sussex County Council’s rejection of a permit needed for US Wind to build a substation critical to plans to erect more than 100 wind turbines off the Delmarva coast, which went into effect earlier this year.
Despite this, President Donald Trump has remained firmly against wind turbines, even signing an executive order temporarily putting permits, approvals and energy lease sales for offshore wind projects on hold last year.
And while the Delmarva project is ready to go, it is still being held up at the federal level, according to Hansen.
“Rather than spending money to build something, we’re spending that to not build something,” Thompson said.
Even if the federal government supports the project, the Sierra Club leader estimates it will take somewhere between five and six years to get off the ground.
As for natural gas or nuclear energy – considered “the largest source of clean power” in the country, according to the U.S. Department of Energy – Hansen said that can take even longer.
Large natural gas turbines usually come with a four-to-eight year waiting period, according to the lawmaker.
“You can’t just buy them off the shelf,” she said.
Additionally, building a nuclear power plant is a multi-million-dollar undertaking, often with construction challenges and long lead times.
In neighbor state New Jersey, lawmakers also passed a bill that would expand nuclear power throughout the state. However, one expert estimates it could take between 10 and 20 years for that power to go online.
Hansen herself made a similar projection, saying it could take eight to 10 years to get up and running in Delaware, maybe more. So, she said it’s also crucial lawmakers look into energy that won’t require as much time to get online, specifically solar.
Hansen previously backed a bill that would have allowed the use of small, plug‑in solar power systems in the First State earlier this spring, a technology gaining traction as energy costs rise nationwide.
Because it is still a new technology in the United States, and doesn’t have set safety standards in place, the bill is now a resolution, Hansen said.
This resolution requests the Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility and the Natural Resources Department conduct a study on the safety and use of balcony and plug-in solar devices. These entities must share a report on the study by Jan. 26, 2027.
Looking ahead, Hansen said lawmakers need to do everything they can to bring “all-size solar” to the state, whether it be community, utility or rooftop. This will help bring down energy costs in the meantime as lawmakers wait for other energy projects to take off.
Because, as Hansen explained, time is of the essence.
“We need more generation,” she said. “And we need it now.”
(This story has been updated to change a video.)
Olivia Montes covers state government and community impact for Delaware Online/The News Journal. If you have a tip or a story idea, reach out to her at omontes@delawareonline.com.
The Wilmington Police Department (WPD) is investigating a shooting incident that left a 4-year-old boy and a teenager injured Sunday night, June 14, 2026.
The shooting occurred at approximately 6:39 p.m. on Sunday when Wilmington Police located the teen and boy on the 1400 block of West 3rd Street in Wilmington, Delaware, officers say.
Both victims were found in stable condition and were transported to a local hospital.
According to police, the 18-year-old victim had exchanged gunfire with multiple people during the incident and was found to be wanted for an unrelated incident. Charges against the teen for the shooting are pending, officials say.
The incident continues to be under investigation, and further details will be released.
The WPD asks that anyone with information on this incident contact Detective Johnnie Everett at (302) 576-3972, or send information to Delaware Crime Stoppers at (1-800) TIP-3333 or at delawarecrimestoppers.com.
Additionally, the WPD Victim Services Unit and Youth Response Unit are available to provide support, free counseling, and other services to victims of crime and traumatizing events. To contact the Victim Services unit, call (302) 576-3622, and to contact the Youth Response Unit, call (302) 576-3183.
Monday, June 15, 2026 3:46AM
WILMINGTON, Del. — A 3-year-old boy was rushed to the hospital after being shot Sunday evening in Wilmington.
The shooting happened around 6:30 p.m. in the 1400 block of West 3rd Street.
Police said the child was shot at least once and was taken to Nemours Children’s Hospital for treatment. There was no immediate word on his condition.
Authorities said the shooting occurred in the area of a child’s birthday party.
Investigators have not released further details about what led up to the incident.
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