Connecticut Green Living

Thanks to climate change , we will continue to see far more invasive species at our doorstep, literally. Maybe you first noticed this little Oriental invader when it hopped onto your backpack and hopped off. Or maybe it flew out of your purse as you reached for the potato salad on your picnic. The Spotted Lanternfly came over from Asia about a decade ago, has permeated Connecticut fruit trees, walnut trees, orchards, sidewalks, bus stops and especially the Tree-of-Heaven, its preferred host. Although some comment on its good looks, the detritus it leaves behind, a sticky substance coined "honeydew", is less adorable: it will imperil grapevines in particular, with a build-up of black mold; it will weaken fruit trees, limiting ability to complete photosynthesis, and selfishly move on to its next victims. Dr. Martha Weiss, an entomologist and biology professor at Georgetown, said "they are here to stay". In conversation with her university press, she commented on t...