Local Beekeeper Reports New Honey from Spotted Lanternfly Honeydew

Ryan Williamson, a beekeeper at Sourwood Farms in Earlysville, Virginia, has observed a new type of honey produced by his bees, attributed to the invasive spotted lanternfly. This insect, spreading across Virginia since 2018, feeds on sap and secretes a sugary substance called honeydew, which bees have started to use as a food source during dry summer months.

Williamson notes that honey yields in his region typically peak in late spring and decline in summer due to hot, dry conditions. However, over the past two years, his bees have produced more honey without supplemental feeding, thanks to the lanternfly honeydew. The spotted lanternfly, first found in Pennsylvania in 2014 and in Albemarle County in 2021, extracts proteins from sap and excretes excess sugars as honeydew.