Spotted Lanternfly inGary, INSPOTTED LANTERNFLY GUIDE
Gary — a former steel city of about 70,000 residents on Indiana's Lake County border with Chicago — entered the SLF watch zone in 2024 as spotted lanternfly expanded from Cook County into the Chicago metro's southern fringe. The city's extensive railroad network, one of the densest freight corridors in North America, creates extremely high SLF introduction risk through rail cargo moving between Chicago and the eastern US. Lake County's proximity to confirmed SLF presence in northeastern Illinois means Gary faces an immediate and growing threat requiring urgent community monitoring.
Where it's showing up
Key Neighborhoods
Highest activity zones
SLF Hotspots
Downtown Gary
Active zone
Glen Park
Active zone
Tolleston
Active zone
Lake Shore Drive
Active zone
Hammond border
Active zone
Primary SLF food source
Tree of Heaven in Gary, IN
Lake Michigan shoreline industrial zones and decommissioned steel mill brownfields throughout Gary support extensive Tree of Heaven populations in disturbed habitat that represent prime SLF establishment sites along the southern Lake Michigan shore. Railroad rights-of-way criss-crossing Gary — a major freight hub connecting the Chicago rail complex to Indiana and points east — carry dense rail-margin Tree of Heaven that constitutes the highest-priority SLF introduction pathway in Lake County. Calumet River banks and adjacent industrial wetlands provide additional riparian Tree of Heaven habitat requiring active early-detection surveillance.
Identify Tree of Heaven →Local action resources
What To Do in Gary, IN
Report a Sighting
Every sighting in Gary, IN maps the invasion front. Report directly to Indiana ISDA.
Report Now →Squish on Sight
See a spotted lanternfly? Kill it immediately — it is legal and encouraged in all states. Learn the best kill methods.
Full Fight Guide →Map ToH in Your Block
Tree of Heaven removal cuts off SLF food supply. Add ToH sightings to the community map to guide removal efforts.
View Sighting Map →Statewide resources
Full IN State Guide
County-level data, quarantine zones, treatment guides, and agency resources for the entire state.
See the full IN guide →Community intelligence
Live Sighting Map
See where SLF has been spotted near you in Gary, IN. Add your own sighting to help map the front.
Open the Map →Free weekly fight briefing
Fight SLF in Gary, IN.
One email per week. Your zip code. Your threat level. Your action plan. Know exactly what to do this week in Gary, IN.