A Second, Scarier, Quarantine – Day 559

Storm Clouds, Portal of Blue – Photo: L. Weikel

A Second, Scarier, Quarantine

Only one short year ago, I wrote about the Spotted Lantern Fly (SLF), an invasive species that is decimating forests in Pennsylvania and spreading into other states as well. In that post, I discussed the quarantine our state is under and the efforts being made to eradicate this pest. But what I found most stunning when I re-read that post a few minutes ago was my use of the word quarantine – and the weird reality of this second, scarier, quarantine we find ourselves in.

My discussion of the need for us to work together to keep the SLF from spreading seems almost sweetly naïve. I was entreating us all to work together to kill off a bug with no natural predators in order to protect our forests. And of course, I assumed we would.

Surely we would work together to fight against the spread of a ‘bug’ with no natural predators for the good of us all. Right?

Kick Off Summer Right

I don’t need to tell anyone reading this post that Memorial Day Weekend 2020 is on track to be one of the strangest any of us have experienced in our lifetimes. As a direct result of our behavior, it could very well turn out to be potentially the deadliest of holiday weekends as well.

Only time will tell if that relates to humans as well as Spotted Lantern Flies.

I’d prefer to think this is a worse time for SLFs than my fellow two-leggeds, but it will take a lot of work to make it so. That’s especially true if humans feel the need to be petulant and wilful. Especially if we demand that nothing in our lives change in order to keep each other and ourselves healthy and ‘bug-free.’

Do Our Part

There are two ways we can do our part to make things worse for Spotted Lantern Flies than ourselves and our fellow humans.

The first is to make a point to be vigilant when outside, as surely all of us will be this weekend – and throughout the summer – to be on the lookout for the bug we can see: the Spotted Lantern Fly.

Here is a great article I read today encouraging all of us to take up the cause I advocated last year.  As I said then, and as I reiterate now, it takes all of us working together to beat this scourge.

Of course, the second way we can make sure this summer is worse for the SLF than for us humans is to kill (or at least minimize the spread) of the bug we can’t see. We need to use our heads. Not be dumb. The research is out there; it shows just how virulently the Coronavirus spreads through water droplets and aerosol particles that come out of our mouths and noses through coughing, laughing, talking, and singing.

Wear a mask when out in public. Stay away (by at least six feet) from people generally  – but especially from people who don’t care enough about anyone but themselves to wear a mask.

This isn’t a case of freedom. Or liberty. Requiring people to wear masks when it is scientifically proven that masks can prevent up to 80% of the spread of Covid-19 is a simple matter of public health and welfare. The right to live in safety from the spread of a highly communicable disease (that can be carried by people who have no symptoms and may not even know they have it) ‘trumps’ the so-called ‘infringement’ on the right of anyone to refuse to wear a mask.

The rights are not equal. You do not have the right to kill me. Or my friends. Or my relatives. Or even those I may not like or do not know.

Kill the Bugs – Not Each Other

While I’m not a big fan of killing anything, truth be told, I would much prefer we all focus our attention on kicking the need for quarantines of any kind. Let’s kill those Spotted Lantern Flies. (Here’s another link to good info on this.) Let’s also kill the spread of the Coronavirus. Every time we wear a mask we do our part to starve the beast.

Call me naïve, but I do think we can work together to save us all. I’m not liking this second, scarier, quarantine. But let’s hope I’m not writing about a third quarantine next year at this time.

(T-552)

Stumped – Day 333

Spider on my walk – Photo: L. Weikel

Stumped

I’m stumped. I don’t know if it’s because I have a headache or what, but I am having a devil of a time coming up with anything you might find interesting to read.

I’m using as my ‘featured image’ a photo of a spider that Karl and I came upon on our walk the other night. If you look carefully, you can see the rainbow background of a speed limit sign, which is where she was busily creating a rather massive web.

She actually made me screech when I initially approached to ask for her photo. She bolted across the web in my general direction so quickly that it freaked me out. I wonder if she was sleeping and I scared her every bit as much as (or probably even more than) she surprised me.

I was impressed by her size, speed, and beauty.

Another Thing

I’m ever vigilant about the evil Spotted Lantern Flies (SLF), and always on a hair trigger eradication campaign. Even though I’m pretty sure they’ve been spotted in abundance along the towpath, as well as other places surrounding us, I am hopeful that maybe we will escape the worst of this infestation.

I’m doing my part. I’m happy to report that, so far, we have not encountered more than one SLF per walk, and – even better – taken many walks without seeing any.

Karl always knows when I’ve found one, though, because a host of profanities suddenly spews onto the pavement, completely out of context to what we may have been discussing, as I vigorously stomp on the singlet I’ve discovered. And you have to either be quick or crafty when trying to smoosh these jerks. They quite unexpectedly jump/fly. Quickly, maddeningly, and far!

I’ve been trying to keep an eye out for egg masses but haven’t found any. So I don’t know if the occasional singlets I’m discovering may have been hitchhikers on cars passing by (which is my hope) or I’m just awful at spotting the egg cases.

I sure hope we can keep them at bay and avoid an infestation around here. Stay on the lookout for them and show no mercy.

(T-778)