Monday, August 2, 2021

Pesky villain, ahoy

 Here's the latest deadly pest in our agricultural state. The spotted lanternfly. Hitchhiker from Asia and  destructive to trees and shrubs which it chews up and destroys. In the process, it makes a sweet sticky substance which creates mold as well, another crop destroyer.


This one showed up yesterday on my front door screen. Maybe planning to move in. I studied him, identified him online, and studied what to do about him. 

Meanwhile I had taken a rather blurry picture. Which turns out to be good, because he flew away. And the advice sites were all about poisoning him, ew.

He's a handsome feller, natty polka dot spotted suit, red dots on his sides. A villain nonetheless.

Today I went to the NJ ag website and they're on it. A form to fill out, an adjustable map of where I spotted (!) it, which recorded the exact longitude and latitude as I aimed it. A place for a picture, yay, did that, the one you see, good enough for experts to recognize anyway.

Turns out several counties are already quarantining, however they do that, and don't need a report. Mine isn't one of them, so it means I'm reporting a spread.

Then a nice thank you after I'd uploaded the info, noting that it had been recorded. Good. Done my good deed. I feel so powerful.

After a strenuous morning pulling out ground cover and hauling it away, my other good deed. The weather's beautiful for this. And I'm so thankful I'm able to do it.

This afternoon I'm planning on  lying reading outside. Not available for insect spying or ground clearing. Just reading something light, probably David Rosenfelt, who has been accompanying my stitching the last couple of days.

Lovely summer reading, light and funny and the good guys win, clearly, as Oscar said, a work of fiction.

And drinking tea and maybe there'll be a biscuit and cherry jam.




16 comments:

  1. Hope they don't come here. It's bad enough keeping on top of the pests we do have.

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  2. I heard an interview on NPR about the lantern fly invasion. the person being interviewed when asked said that the best way to deal with them was to stomp on them or otherwise smush them. or capture them in a jar smothered until dead.

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    1. The stomping was a thought I had. But it flew away before I could do it. It was on the other side of the door.

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  3. I'm glad you could report that. Do you mean biscuits like Americans spread jam on or biscuits like the British mean which are what Americans call cookies?? Will check out that title...

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    1. Since I'm American these fifty years, I eat American!! These are biscuits! Lovely warm, spread a bit of butter and jam if you have it, great afternoon tea food. Like scones, except I don't call them that, they're a bit different. But good no matter what you call them.

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    2. These are the same old hot biscuits I've been making for years. This batch is a bit flatter than usual, because the dough wasn't as dry as usual. Maybe they looked like cookies in the pic.

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  4. How are the dollivers taking to the new member of the tribe? She's really looking quite spirited. Love the dimples.

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  5. Good for you for reporting that lanternfly! I'm sure it is helpful for tracking how far they have gone within our country. I never would have known they wanted people to report it. It was wise of you to check!

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    1. There have been news reports about it or I wouldn't have known either. You wouldn't think it's such a pest, to see it.

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  6. The book cover makes me smile. The bug gets nothing.

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  7. I have a good pair of bug smushing gloves for those that can't get away from me so easily. Otherwise I'm not above giving them a little spray with the bug poison.

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  8. Interestingly, I saw one yesterday on the path, dead as a doornail. I wondered if a bird had done it, judging from the condition, aside from deadness. Saved me a job

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  9. Good heavens - another bug to beware of. Or to be aware of, depending on how you say it.
    Thanks for the book suggestion. Off to check to see if the library has any available.

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