Spotted lanternflies are continuing to wreak havoc across Pennsylvania, with hundreds of thousands of invasive pests making their home in gardens and backyards across the state, writes John Hayes for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Homeowners desperate for solutions for dealing with the bug have turned to official sources for help, with little results.

Kristine Masta, whose Pittsburgh property has been overrun by spotted lanternflies, reached out to Penn State Extension for possible solutions. She was advised to use circle traps.

“That was completely unhelpful,” said Masta.

So she turned to other home remedies, but nothing helped. The only effective way to kill spotted lanternflies she found was the highest grade of Ortho insecticide at full strength. Unfortunately, the pesticide also killed many of her plants.

“Spraying insecticides kills lanternflies, but it also goes on the ground and kills a lot more insects than they need to remove,” said Joe Stavish, director of tree care and reforestation for Tree Pittsburgh.

“Beneficial insects. Some of these chemicals kill the trees the bugs are on, get into the groundwater, and cause more problems than the lanternflies.”

Read more about spotted lanternflies in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

What to do if you come across a spotted lanternfly, according to TODAY.