A Local Battle Against The Pesky Spotted Lanternfly Unfolds

Well, it finally happened, just over 11 years since the first spotted lanternfly was recorded in the United States, I found one of these pesky bugs outside of my home.

I live in Torrington, and this was only my third encounter with the invasive species that everyone in Connecticut has been on alert to smash or destroy. My first two encounters came only a couple of months ago at a gas station at the 4 Corners area in Brookfield. I did my civic duty all three times and ended the little bug's life under the weight of my Size 12 Sketchers. But did I do the right thing?

More and more advice is out there regarding the issue of "Smash spotted lanterflies, or don't smash them'. I'm smashing them, because it's what the most credible sources of info say to do, like ct.gov, and ny.gov, etc. There are opposing points of view out at the moment also, like humanegardener.com, who suggests compassion and harmony, and the removal of the spotted lanternfly's favorite food - Tree of Heaven, also classified as an invasive species by ct.gov. 

The good news is that the dead little guy you see above was already approaching the end of it's lifecycle, most of the adult spotted lanternfly still trying to mate and lay eggs out there will soon meet the great equalizer of nature in below freezing temps. The bad news is that their eggs (30-50 in each egg mass) are not likely to get killed off over the course of the Winter. My advice? Stomp away.