Spotted Lanternfly – The Fight Continues
It is increasingly hard nowadays to avoid running into a Spotted Lanternfly (SLF). They are in our parks, backyards, and favorite public spaces.
However, efforts to stomp, squash, and smash the spread of this nuisance invader has a stalwart champion in FMN Susan Laume. Via a pilot program under Fairfax County’s Urban and Community Forestry Division (UCFD) and with support from FCPA’s Natural Resources IMA group, she and the Laurel Hill Park Volunteer Team (FMNS Kathy Stewart, Aurora Boughi, and others) have been vacuuming SLFs at Laurel Hill Park.
Yes vacuuming – an innovative, environmentally safe, and non-toxic tool in the toolbox to help control the invasion. Given the good initial results and positive feedback, UCFD is planning to add vacuums to the county library’s equipment rental program.
In addition to Susan’s habitat management work, she also contributes articles to the Connection Newspaper. Please read more about the SLF and the county’s management program in her Connection article from this summer. Scroll down to page 10 looking for, what else, “Stomp, Squish, Slap, Smash”.
Service hours removing invasive insects may be recorded under one of two FMN codes. S109 for service in County parks; S256 for non-park sites.
S109: FCPA Habitat and Insect Management – – Fairfax County Park Authority.
S256: Fairfax County Habitat and Insect Management — Fairfax County
Acknowledgements:
Cover photo credit: Stephen Ausmus, USDA
