A Reddit user sparked a conversation online after sharing their unique method of using sticky traps to capture invasive spotted lanternflies in their garden.
What happened?
"Took 28 down in 60 seconds and they never saw it coming," the original poster wrote in the r/gardening subreddit. "Even the ones that tried to hop away hopped right onto the sticky tape."
(Click here to watch the video if it doesn't appear.)
To avoid accidentally trapping native insects, the user emphasized that the sticky traps were not left hanging in the garden. Instead, they used the sticky tape as a handheld tool to target pests directly.
"I have a couple of plants where they congregate (sunflowers and porcelainberry creeping in from our neighbor)," they wrote. After catching the invasive species, the user said, "I smoosh and bag them right away. These are not left out to trap beneficial pollinators or birds."
After commenters asked whether duct tape or other options could work too, the original poster explained: "They are cut thinly so I could gently tap the sticky trap to the nymph before it hopped away. This species is really invasive and damages crops important to our region."
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Despite its effectiveness, users in the comments debated the ethics of glue-based traps.
One commenter wrote, "no one should apologize for eradicating invasive species," while others claimed they were inhumane.
Why does it matter?
Pests can take a visible toll on home gardens, weakening plants, damaging flowers, and reducing harvests. Gardening can also help cut produce costs, provide fresher fruits and vegetables, and support mental and physical health through regular time outdoors.
If invasive insects spread, those benefits can be harder to protect.
The poster's explanation of how the tape was used also underscored a bigger concern with sticky products: unintended captures. Even when the goal is to remove a destructive insect, gardeners may worry about accidentally trapping pollinators, birds, or other helpful animals.
However, as the original poster explained, the sticky trap in this situation was used intentionally for a short period to target destructive spotted lanternflies.
What can I do?
For people finding spotted lanternflies in their yard, the Reddit thread suggested several methods to combat their population, including hand removal, collecting insects in soapy water, and watching the plants where the bugs tend to gather.
Despite the spotted lanternfly's relentless spread, one commenter offered a note of optimism: "Don't give up hope. They mobbed the Northeast years ago but numbers dropped."
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