A unique approach to stopping the spotted lanternfly
Parks departments are accustomed to dealing with all types of pests, but spotted lanternflies pose new challenges for natural habitats, park visitors, and local industries.
The casual park visitor might only experience lanternflies as a minor nuisance.
“I was having lunch in lower Westchester this summer, and I had a little box of pizza open,” says Taro Ietaka, Assistant Director of Conservation at the Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation in New York. “And, as I'm eating, they're just falling onto the box, and it's just gross.”
Encountered differently, perhaps in passing, the spotted lanternfly might not seem all that bad. Taken one at a time, they’re not particularly imposing, measuring roughly three-quarters of an inch in length. Also, the wings are intricately colored and patterned, resembling the natural beauty often associated with butterflies. But the sheer quantity is the problem.
Ietaka says, “One pigeon is beautiful, but when you have, you know, thousands or tens of thousands, then not so cute anymore. And that's what we're starting to experience.”
