Become a
Block Captain
Lead Your Neighborhood's Fight
You don't need special training. You need a phone, a neighborhood app, and 2 hours this fall. Block Captains are the people who turn individual action into neighborhood-scale impact.
What Block Captains Do
Four simple actions that make your block dramatically more effective than any individual working alone.
Spread the Word
Post flyers in your building common areas and mailrooms. Share the alert in Nextdoor, your building app, or neighborhood email list. You are the first line of awareness on your block.
Organize a Scraping Event
Recruit 5–10 neighbors. Set a date in September–October when egg masses are freshly laid and easiest to find. Two hours on a Saturday morning is all it takes.
Track Your Block's Progress
Log your kills and share your block's leaderboard link with neighbors. Friendly competition works — blocks with active trackers remove more egg masses every season.
Report New Hotspots
You're the first eyes on your block. When you spot a new infestation — on a neighbor's fence, a lamp post, a parked car — report it to the map immediately.
The Impact
Community research on coordinated egg mass scraping events shows Block Captains punch well above their weight.
More egg masses removed by coordinated scraping events vs. individuals acting alone
Eggs removed from a single organized block event — per season
SLF that probably didn't hatch this spring because of your block's captain last year
“Your block captain from last year probably stopped 1,000 SLF from hatching this spring.”
Based on community action research: average coordinated block event removes 30–50 egg masses; each mass contains ~30–50 eggs; most unscraped masses successfully hatch.
What You Get
Block Captains get a few extras to make the job easier.
Block Captain Badge
Your profile on the leaderboard gets the Block Captain badge. Show your neighborhood who's leading the fight.
Free Printable Flyers & Door Hangers
Print and distribute our ready-made flyers — no design work needed. Available in English and Spanish.
Priority Season Alerts
Block Captains get priority email updates and early season alerts before public announcements. Be the first to know, so you can be the first to act.
Ready to lead?
Become a Block Captain
Sign up for the newsletter below and you'll receive a Block Captain starter kit by email. It includes printable flyers, a scraping event planning template, and your first seasonal briefing — personalized to your ZIP code.
- Block Captain starter kit sent to your email
- Printable flyers and door hanger template
- Seasonal briefing personalized to your ZIP code
- Priority season alerts before public announcements
Join the Fight Briefing
We'll send you a Block Captain starter kit by email after you sign up.
Already subscribed? Reply to any briefing email with “Block Captain” and we'll send the kit.
Veteran organizers
Already a Captain?
Tips for seasoned Block Captains who want to level up their neighborhood's impact.
Use the Weekly Challenge
Share each week's challenge with your Nextdoor group or building app. Friendly competition motivates neighbors who wouldn't act alone.
Link Your Block's Leaderboard
Post your ZIP code leaderboard link in every Nextdoor post and building email. Watching the numbers go up is the best motivator there is.
Submit Data to iNaturalist
After your scraping event, log all sightings as a batch observation to the Spotted Lanternfly iNaturalist project. Your community's data feeds real research.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to own my home?
No. Renters, condo owners, apartment dwellers — anyone with a neighborhood presence can be a Block Captain. You don't need property to post a flyer or organize a group.
How much time does this take?
2–4 hours per season for a basic Block Captain. That's one scraping event plus a few Nextdoor posts. You can do more — but you don't have to.
What if I can't organize a full scraping event?
Just share the flyer — that counts. Spreading awareness to five neighbors who each take one action multiplies your impact more than acting alone.
Is there any cost?
No. Everything — the flyers, the leaderboard, the newsletter, the starter kit — is free. This is a public good project.
Related Resources
Weekly Fight Briefing
New guides, season updates, and community action ideas — personalized to your ZIP code. Free. One email per week during season.