The Gist The Great Lantern Fly Freakout: Is That BS?
5 snips
Jul 16, 2025 
Sadie Dingfelder, author of 'Do I Know You?', returns to tackle the lanternfly crisis and the national response, questioning if the public's stomp-fest was effective or merely exaggerated panic. She dives into the ecological impact of these pests, dissecting misconceptions while humorously critiquing awareness campaigns. The conversation also explores the recent Supreme Court ruling on judicial power, unveiling its surprising implications on birthright citizenship and the ongoing chaos within MAGA media regarding Trump and Epstein.
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Public Stomp Lanternfly Mania
- Sadie Dingfelder shared how the public engaged in a mass campaign to stomp lanternflies, sometimes in dangerous ways like setting trees on fire.
- The campaign sought to curb the spread of lanternflies reported to devastate Pennsylvania's environment and economy.
Stomping Lanternflies Likely Ineffective
- Experts now acknowledge that human efforts to stomp lanternflies likely had minimal impact on their population.
- Lanternflies have integrated into the ecosystem with natural boom and bust cycles, unlike initial beliefs.
Lanternflies Not Ecosystem Threat
- Lanternflies are not dangerous to native ecosystems; they rely on the invasive tree of heaven to complete their life cycle.
- Experiments show native hardwoods withstand lanternfly feeding damage and recover well.
