To Squish or not to Squish? The Spotted Lanternfly is invading our yards, parks, forests and more. Is squishing them the only answer?

We are now confronted with yet another plague in a sense, in the form of the Spotted Lanternfly (SLF), which is invading yards, parks, golf courses, vineyards, outdoor concert venues and more. Many folks don’t know how to deal with them. According to the NYS Department of Agriculture, the Spotted Lanternfly is a plant hopper native to China and Southeastern Asia. Discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014, the Spotted Lanternfly presents a threat throughout much of the United States. While its list of hosts is large, the greatest agricultural concern falls on grapes, hops, apples, blueberries, and stone fruits. So yes, you might need to begin worrying about enjoying that tall mug of your favorite IPA Beer and that glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. Its presence has led to crop loss, exporting issues, and increased management costs. Egg masses may be transported unknowingly (including on cars), and their nymphs are able to feed on many hosts. Adult SLFs prefer certain trees such as Tree of Heaven, Black Walnut, Maples, and Grapevines. To say the least, this bug is of great concern in the burbs and beyond, and our resident garden and environmental guru Victoria Alzapiedi gives us some great info on the Spotted Lanternfly and what measures we can take to reduce their population. For more info go to https://agriculture.ny.gov/spottedlanternfly. Follow New Castle Healthy Yards on Facebook. Find past TMSOG episodes on HudsonRiverRadio.com, MalcolmPresents.com and on all major podcast apps (Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart, Spreaker.com and more). #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness