Identify and Manage Outdoor Insects

What should you do if you find spotted lanterflies in your yard or garden in Maryland? Please report them to the Maryland Department of Agriculture. Here, we provide information about this invasive insect's life cycle, where it is currently located in Maryland, and what you can do to manage these nuisance insects around home landscapes.

How to identify and manage common wasps such as yellowjackets, European hornets, baldfaced hornets, and paper wasps found in Maryland. The Northern giant hornet ("murder hornet") and yellow-legged hornet are not present in Maryland.

Most of the insects in the home landscape are beneficial. Learn to identify them and attract them to the garden. Learn to identify and manage other insects that may cause problems.

Are insects bugging you? Very few (less than 1% of species) are pests. Most insects provide vital benefits to people and the environment. Before reaching for pesticides to kill insects around your home, learn about them and what they do-- we're here to help!