The invasive plant that the invasive lanter flies like is tree of heaven. (Pictures)
"The usual recommended removal protocol for it is cut and immediately apply Round up or similar to the cut so that it takes it in before the cut heals over. Like, paint it on within 15 minutes of cutting. Sometimes chemicals are helpful, and it’s not like you’ll be broadcast spraying them all over the place. You would be doing a pretty direct and targeted application."
"This exact method of "cut and paint" is what most of the US wildlife service uses to address natives in parks and sensitive places. its incredibly effective when done right."
"This is the right approach. We did this to about a dozen small saplings and had very good results, but the key is to paint them immediately after cutting. I also avoid the use of chemicals in our lawn, but in this case due to the potential of remnant roots and their aggressive rhizome spreading I opted for a permanent solution."
"Everything I've seen has recommended basal bark or cut and squirt application in late summer or early fall."
"Is this the only TOH in the area? If it's a baby sapling, you might be able to get it out this year by digging only. It's definitely worth a shot. TOH has an extremely large root mass, so if it's more established, you won't be able to dig it all up, especially since it's in a shared area. It suckers extremely aggressively and stores a lot of energy in the root mass, so if you just cut it down, it's going to send up shoots from all over the root mass, which can be the entire city block. The recommended method is to apply targeted herbicide in late-summer when the tree is starting to pull sugars down into the root mass-- this way you poison the roots, rather than just stimulating growth. You can try to starve it by repeatedly cutting it down, but if it's a large root mass, you'll need to get your neighbors on board as well."
