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Fairfax County is urging residents to kill spotted lanternflies now, while the invasive insects are still young and easier to control.

The pests began reappearing earlier this month in their nymph stage, when they resemble small black beetles covered with white spots. The Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services expects them to mature in July, developing red coloring and the larger, winged form seen in adults.

“Vacuuming or squashing nymphs are the easiest ways to reduce the population of spotted lanternfly, without using pesticide,” the county said in a recent news release.

Nymphs are generally found near the ground on herbaceous plants, although they can be difficult to spot beneath leaves and stems. They cannot fly, but they can jump.

Spotted lanternflies first reached Fairfax County in a grocery store shipment delivered to Annandale in 2021. They have since spread across the D.C. region.

Native to China, India and Vietnam, the insects lack established predators in the United States and can damage plants and trees.

Residents who do not want to squash or vacuum the nymphs can spray them with soapy water, according to county urban forester Rachel Habig-Myers. She recommended mixing one-quarter cup of liquid dish soap or castile soap with one quart of water, either for spraying the bugs or knocking them into a bucket containing the solution.

However, Habig-Myers cautioned that soap can harm water quality and burn green plants. The mixture should be used carefully around vegetation, soil and bodies of water.

The county is also removing tree of heaven, another invasive species that commonly hosts spotted lanternflies. Residents can report the trees online or through an app connected to the University of Georgia’s Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System.

Although spotted lanternflies are expected to remain part of the local ecosystem, county experts believe the current surge will not last indefinitely. The population is projected to peak during the next one to two years before beginning a natural decline.

Earlier infestation areas suggest lanternfly populations generally follow a four-to-five-year cycle. Fairfax County expects local numbers to level off and start falling by the late 2020s as the insects deplete their preferred food sources and native predators increasingly adapt to eating them.

Until then, residents are being asked to destroy the pests wherever possible to help reduce the approaching peak.