If you’re too afraid to squish, now you don’t have to.
This summer, New York City officials urged residents to kill spotted lanternflies in an effort to control the spread of the invasive species. The Parks Department even issued a statement in August encouraging New Yorkers to “squish and dispose of the invasive pest.”
However, some have avoided the task for a number of reasons, including being repulsed by the idea of squashing the gray-and-red-winged plant hoppers.
City Councilwoman Gale Brewer and Matt Malina, of the non-profit NYC H2O, are now working together to urge people to trap the pests instead.
The pair stopped by “Mornings On 1” on Wednesday to demonstrate how to make a lanternfly trap that can be affixed to a tree trunk, so that you no longer have to take direct action when you spot one.