Prayer
A Prayer for Difficult Stewardship
Lord of all life, This task grieves me, yet I know it must be done to protect the land and those it feeds. Keep my heart compassionate, my hand steady, and my purpose pure.
May even this hard work be done in love and in care for Your creation.
Amen.
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Education and Information
In the last YLBG I shared the work of a Maasai woman fighting ‘new lions’ - the plastic pollution that is killing herds in Maasai lands. This week, the focus is on fighting ‘new bugs’ and is brought to you by the Spotted Lanternfly infestation in my back yard.
Spotted Lantern Flies (SLF) are native to Southeast Asia. They are pretty to look at, but invasive and incredibly destructive. Although they love Tree of Heaven plants the most, which are, themselves, invasive, they are destructive to many other plants and agriculture.
As a person captures the critters I find in my house and lets them free outside, it’s difficult for me to say this, but these little guys have to be killed. If not, infestations can, like a plague of locusts, devastate plants and farm production.
The SLF is one more example of the need for us to protect ecosystems as they have evolved over millennia. The SLF has a predator in its native range. Here, nothing eats these pests, so they reign free. Methods of control range from pesticides, which is the least best thing to do, to clearing away their egg masses in the fall and winter. This is labor intensive, but least destructive to native pollinators.
Action
There is a lot of information about the SLF and how to mitigate the presence and the spread of this invasive pest. Check out this NPR interview and this webpage from the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
Currently, SLF is in Hamilton County OH, but has not been reported in any of the surrounding counties. Do not move firewood, outdoor furniture or any other items where eggs or nymphs may be living. This will slow the spread. You can check your own state’s Department of Agriculture to see what the SLF situation is in your area.
Resources:
NPR
Ohio Department of Agriculture