They look nothing like adults, but Washington's baby spotted lanternflies still need smashing

Washingtonians are getting an early warning about one of summer's least-welcome return visitors: spotted lanternflies. This time, though, the bugs people are being told to squash may be easy to miss because they do not yet resemble the adults many residents recognize.

What's happening?

The D.C.-based creator Valerie (@notboredindc) posted a seasonal reminder: baby spotted lanternflies are back, and people should not wait until they reach adulthood to deal with them.

In a short TikTok video, the creator said the insects appearing now are not adults yet. They explained that spotted lanternflies are currently in their nymph stage and "look completely different" from the adult spotted lanternflies people are "used to seeing and smashing."

@notboredindc it's time to smash those spotted lantern flies again throughout dc, but right now, they look a little different #dmvtiktok ♬ original sound - not bored in DC | valerie

While holding up a small dead nymph they had found in their garden, the creator described what people should look for at this stage. The bugs are "mainly black with white spots," they said, and by stage four, "they have a little bit of red." The ones they had been noticing most often, they added, were "mainly now stages two through four."

One commenter wrote, "Oh! I didn't know it was the same bug," while another said, "I had no idea they were those little black and white bugs! Heard!"

Why does it matter?

Spotted lanternflies are back, and many people may not recognize them early enough to act. If residents are only looking for the larger adults, smaller nymphs can continue to slip by unnoticed in gardens, on sidewalks, and around apartment buildings.

As an invasive nuisance, these insects can spread quickly and become much harder to ignore later in the season. The creator also suggested their return can feel frustrating after a year of public stomping campaigns.

Comments on the post also suggest the insects are showing up in the kinds of places people encounter every day.

One viewer wrote, "Live up on the 7th floor and saw one on my balcony the other day. How'd it get up there??"

Another added, "Found stage 2 and 3 on my plants by my windowsill I hate being near bushes!!!!"

If people do not know what the nymphs look like, they may leave them alone until they mature into the more recognizable adult form.

What can I do?

The creator's advice was straightforward: "you still wanna smash these." In other words, the early-stage nymphs count too, even if they are smaller and less familiar-looking than the adults.

For people trying to deal with the bugs on the move, the creator shared a specific tactic.

"If you stomp them from behind them instead of in front of them, they can't really jump as quickly," the creator said, describing it as one of the "battle techniques" people have picked up.

"We can keep doing that," they said. "We just need to expand our field to also include the, like, babies."

"We are wiser. We know more about them," the creator said.

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