Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.
As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”
This is some kind of sticky trap for Spotted Lanternfly on a mature Ailanthus tree in Owl’s Head Park. I don’t know if this was the work of NYC Parks or someone freelance.
Last nymph stage emerging.
The trouble with this sticky stuff is that everything sticks to it. I saw flies wasps, true bugs, and ants dead and dying on the glue. There were lots of tiny creatures. Like a pesticide, it’s a blunderbuss, hitting much beyond its target. (I’ve heard of birds getting stuck to similar traps.)
I am about to test information found in two different articles claiming vinegar will either kill lanternflies instantly or prevent them from achieving the next instar. I expect no plant damage or bykill from a spritz of vinegar and hope what I read is accurate. Maybe all I will achieve is making a few bushes smell like sour kraut, but it’s worth a try. Glue traps are not the answer.
Backyard and Beyond 
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