There are no broadly effective solutions that address spotted lanternflies currently available to us other than manual techniques. While addressing them on a large scale is very difficult, you may have some luck with protecting a limited number of plants in the current period before they become winged insects. There is also recent information that suggests that birds are natural predators of spotted lanternflies and supporting them in your garden can limit these insects.

Cornell College of Agriculture has a great fact sheet on tips and tactics to Spotted Lanternfly Management.  The first three instar phases when the insects are black with white spots and the fourth instar when they are red with black and white spots are the life stages at which they are most vulnerable to capture using the tape and trap methods described in the information linked from Cornell. They cannot yet fly so are traveling on foot along stems and trunks where your defenses get laid. The article includes information on modifications to increase protection from sticky traps to birds and animals. You can read, if interested, more about the SLF lifecycle here.

While this insect is amongst the most challenging at the moment, the New York City area is always a host to numerous pests and diseases that cause concern and our landscapes are inevitably altered as a result. You can support your plants by regularly monitoring them for issues that need to be addressed. Strive to keep plants in top health so that they have the greatest natural defenses. Support bird habitat in your area as birds have been observed to eat lanternflies. Remove tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) plants from your landscape. Ingesting leaves from the tree of heaven plant makes spotted lanternflies taste bitter and reduces bird control of the species.

The Cornell information represents the most up-to-date information on safe and effective management. There currently is no broader scale, effective remedy for spotted lanternfly and the state and city are collecting data while solutions are sought. 

See also: Sharing spotted lanternfly information

Courtesy of NYBG Plant Information Service