I Finally Killed a Spotted Lanternfly in Connecticut

I first recall hearing about the Spotted Lanternfly in Connecticut in 2019 when reports of this new invasive species came out of Southbury. Fast forward almost six years to this morning for my first sighting and kill.

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I feel especially proud of myself today, I took the time getting my morning coffee to look down at the ground outside of my vehicle in Brookfield when I saw a single Spotted Lanternfly on the ground. I almost gasped, I've kept my eyes open for over almost 1,500 days since CT.gov and nearly every media outlet sent out hundreds of warnings for us to find these things and destroy them

It's a good thing that I took a little closer look at this inch long bug, I didn't notice the telltale pink hue behind the spotted wings at first, but I knew what it was almost immediately.

What Makes the Spotted Lanternfly a Threat to Connecticut?

According to ct.gov, the Spotted Lanternfly feeds on over 60 trees and plants found in North America, and around 47% of our forest trees in Connecticut are potentially susceptible. If a SLF doesn't kill the tree or plant it could still destroy it's fruit. The true cost of an SLF invasion is unknown, but we've been trying like hell to avoid it happening.

I don't kill animals, and I try to avoid smashing insects, but I made an immediate choice and raised up my size 12 Sketchers right down onto the head of this thing. It took 6 years to get my first SLF kill in Connecticut, but the thought of protecting our native species has turned me into an SLF murderer. Join me.