08/27/2026
Have you noticed tons more spotted lanternflies in the garden this year? So have honeybees - and they’ve even started making a new lanternfly-flavored honey 😵💫🍯
Lanternflies are an invasive species, and while they prefer to feed on their fellow invasive and host plant, the tree of heaven, they are not picky and will eat just about anything. They consume and cause damage to other trees, grapevines, cucumbers, raspberries, and more.
Lanternflies feed by sucking up plant sap, absorbing the proteins and leaving behind a sugary, sticky substance called “honeydew”. In July and August when adult lanternflies are most active, honeybees will add this honeydew to their usual diet of nectar, and use it to make a honey that is entirely unique.
Spotted lanternfly honey is safe to consume, but can be an acquired taste - it is distinctly darker, smokier, and less sweet than traditional honey. In our mini taste test, about half of us liked it (the other half declined to comment).
Alongside global climate change, our local ecosystems are seeing drastic changes too. The spotted lanternfly is unfortunately here to stay, so this new type of honey might just become a new fixture of late summer beekeeping. Have you tried it yet??
