THE WINSProof That Fighting Back Works
SLF is winning some battles. We're winning others. Here's the scoreboard.
The Scale
By the Numbers
The largest invasive species detection dataset of its kind — built entirely by citizen scientists.
Federal dollars funding research, biocontrol development, and state-level rapid response programs.
Anastatus orientalis biocontrol entering Phase 2 trials. A self-sustaining solution is closer than ever.
Estimated by PA DCNR. Each mass contains 30–50 eggs. That is 3–5 million insects that never hatched.
Research Victories
Science Wins
Researchers are closing in. These breakthroughs didn't happen overnight — they happened because the scientific community took SLF seriously.
Anastatus Orientalis — Phase 2 Biocontrol
Lab trials show 60–80% parasitism rates. This egg-parasitoid wasp is native to Asia and targets SLF specifically. USDA APHIS is advancing toward field trials.
Beauveria Bassiana Now Commercially Available
The first OMRI-listed biological fungicide effective against SLF is now on the market. Kills on contact, safe for pollinators when applied correctly.
Penn State GDD Model — ±3 Day Accuracy
The growing degree day model for predicting SLF hatch timing is now accurate within 3 days for 85% of sites tested — giving managers a real planning tool.
On the Ground
Community Wins
Neighbors, volunteers, and block captains doing things no government program can replicate.
200+ Tree of Heaven Removed
A neighborhood association coordinated a targeted Tree of Heaven removal campaign across a six-block area — eliminating the primary host that was drawing SLF.
500+ Master Gardeners Trained
Virginia Cooperative Extension trained over 500 Master Gardener volunteers in egg mass identification and removal, multiplying the reach of professional outreach.
10,000+ Sightings Logged in Season One
The LFW community logged over 10,000 sightings in its first active season — creating a hyper-local dataset no state agency was collecting at this resolution.
First County-Wide ToH Cost-Share Program
Montgomery County launched the first county-funded cost-share program helping homeowners remove Tree of Heaven — subsidizing the hardest part of the fight.
Regulatory Progress
Policy Wins
Governments are responding. It's slow, imperfect, and bureaucratic — and it's still progress.
Statewide Quarantine Expanded
Maryland expanded its SLF quarantine zone statewide in March 2026, tightening movement restrictions and triggering mandatory inspection protocols for businesses.
Regulatory machinery responding directly to detection data.
Shift to Integrated Management Focus
NJ shifted from mandatory-kill messaging to integrated pest management guidance — a sign the response is maturing beyond initial panic into strategic, evidence-based control.
The fight is getting smarter, not just louder.
The Math
What Individual Action Does
It doesn't feel like much when you're out there alone with a credit card scraping bark. Here's why it adds up.
Each mass = one generation prevented before it starts.
One neighborhood. One weekend. Real scale.
Coordination multiplies individual action by an order of magnitude.
Join the Fight
These wins happened because people showed up. Pick your lane.
Report a Sighting
Every sighting logged is a data point. It shapes the quarantine maps, the model accuracy, and the response. Don't sit on it.
Report Now →Become a Block Captain
One organized event can remove thousands of insects in an afternoon. You don't need a permit — you need a group text and a Saturday.
Get Started →Log Your Kills
Your kill count is proof. Add it to the community total. Watch the number grow. Know your contribution is part of something larger.
Log Kills →