Episode 170: What’s With the Spotted Lantern Fly?

This summer there has been a lot of buzz about the spotted lantern fly – they seem to be everywhere in Connecticut, from big cities to farms and gardens. Our guest on this episode of the podcast is Evan Lentz, an assistant educator at the UConn Extension. He gives us an explanation of how the spotted lantern fly became so prevalent in the state and the biggest dangers they present, hint: it has to do with wine. Evan was the co-author of this extension website about the spotted lantern fly. We also talk about Evan’s work with the fruit farmers in Connecticut, what the fruit industry is like in the state, and the work is he doing to bring back UConn’s historic orchards and what the future might hold for them.