A homeowner battling invasive species reached out to Reddit's r/NativePlantGardening forum for help.
"Should I nuke this area with roundup? Tons of oriental bittersweet and lots of spotted lanternfly nymphs showing up," wrote the poster. "Been battling this by trimming for two years now."
The two images reveal the invasive plant spreading across the homeowner's yard and show a closeup of spotted lanternfly nymphs clinging to the vine. Like the plant, the spotted lantern flies are also an invasive species. Originally from China, spotted lantern flies can attack and destroy over 70 woody plant species.
Redditors agreed it was necessary to address the invasive species and suggested potential solutions.
"Yes, poison ivy and Virginia creeper are very beneficial," commented one user. "I would say just cutting the bittersweet every month or so, will take 10 minutes. No sense killing everything."
"With that mess roundup might be your only option, unless you can uninstall the fences, excavate everything, plant with a nice native vine, and reinstall the fences," wrote another user.
Invasive species have a significant impact on the environment, threatening the population of local organisms. When non-native plants are introduced to a new place — whether by accident or on purpose — they compete with native plants and animals for resources.
This causes a severe domino effect, disrupting the local ecosystem's balance as the invasive species overuse resources and destroy habitats. In the case of invasive plants like bittersweet, the non-native species can overtake the surrounding plants, causing them to die.
Invasive species not only have a negative impact on the environment, but they also pose a threat to the economy. According to a report backed by the United Nations, invasive species cost the world at least $423 billion in damages each year.
When treating your lawn for invasive plants, it's safer to implement natural removal methods instead of applying toxic herbicides. These types of harsh chemicals can cause more damage to the local ecosystem by leaching harmful substances into the soil.
Redditors discussed the challenge of removing and preventing invasive species.
"I did have an area like this where I pulled up (and kept pulling up) all the invasives and some cool natives started filling out the space eventually," responded one user. "But I get that everyone doesn't have the time to dedicate to that, especially if it's a giant space."
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