The Lanternfly is Here!
Unfortunately,  a small colony of the spotted lanternfly was spotted in Pontiac in Oakland county!
It has been moving closer to Michigan during the last few years and so has been expected. This is not good news since the spotted lanterfly is highly invasive and very destructive. Unfortunately, typical pest management has not proven effective in other states.

What You Can Do
If you find a spotted lanternfly egg mass, nymph or adult, take one or more photos, make note of the date, time and location of the sighting, and report it online to Eyes in the Field. Photos are necessary to verify a report and to aid in identification.
And then crush nymphs and adult insects. Scrape egg masses into a plastic bag containing hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol to kill them.

The egg mass of the lanternfly looks like a splatter of mud. It can be scraped off and destroyed. The egg masses not only can be found on trees but also other surfaces such as your car or other flat surfaces.

MDARD asks Michiganders to be on the lookout for spotted lanternfly, an invasive species threatening agriculture and natural resources. The Spottled Lanternfly is not harmful to humans. They do not sting or bite, but they can be very destructive to many crops, trees and plants. They can also make a mess in your yard by excreting a sticky substance that causes the growth of black sooty mold. You can read more here

Top left: First stage
Top right: As it matures it changes color
Bottom row: Mature Lanternfly

The weather is wonderful and we all want to spend lots of time outdoors in nature with the birds, bees and butterflies. But, there is something else, it's the darn ticks! Tick season is a long one. In Michigan, it begins in May and last through November. That's one half of the entire year!

More to come.....

Here in Michigan we  know the mosquito, all too well! And, if you are like us, prefer to avoid toxic repellents. Fortunately, a number of essential oils have been proven to be effective in repelling mosquitoes!

Any one essential oil may contain hundreds to thousands of compounds known to repel insects, due to plants natural defense mechanism against insects. Some of these very compounds are specifically effective repellents to mosquitoes!

According to one study the five most effective oils against mosquitoes were those of Litsea (Litsea cubeba), Cajeput (Melaleuca leucadendron), Niaouli (Melaleuca quinquenervia), Violet (Viola odorata), and Catnip (Nepeta cataria).  Repellency Effect Of 41 Different Essential Oils
 


Here are two DIY mosquito sprays to try!

WATER- BASED REPELLENT SPRAY                                               OIL- BASED REPELLENT
Into a spray bottle, use four ounces                                     Using 8 ounces of an organic carrier oil,
of witch hazel and/or distilled water as a                            add 40 to 50 drops of essential oil of your
base. Add 10 drops of your main                                            choice.       Apply to skin as needed
essential oil, along with a few drops of
any other desired oils. Add 1/4 tsp.
vanillin. Apply as needed