Invasive Species Alert: Spotted Lantern Fly

Mark Venable identified a Spotted Lantern Fly on his property last week, and received some guidance from the MD Dept of Agriculture that I thought should be shared with the community. These insects could threaten vineyards and orchards because they suck sap from trees and grapevines, and excrete a sugary substance that attracts other insects and promotes mold growth. 

During the month of July, you might see late stage nymphs that are bright red, and adults may be present from July through November

 

 Info from the MDA:

 

Sightings  The Spotted Lantern Fly (SLF) has been found in the majority of Maryland’s counties. Regardless, any data you report helps us monitor population sizes and continue to track the spread of the insect. To properly report, please follow these steps:

1. Take a picture of the insect, egg mass, or infestation.

2. If possible, crush the insect or egg mass.

3. Note the location of your finding.

4. Enter this information here: Report a Spotted Lanternfly in Maryland 

More information on SLF (including images) and control measures:

Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Webpage: MDA Spotted Lanternfly 

University of Maryland Extension: University of Maryland Extension SLF 

Penn State Extension: Penn State Extension SLF 

Maryland Department of Agriculture | Plant Protection & Weed Management

Some recent good news on this subject:  A researcher at Rutgers University has found that bats love to eat Spotted Lantern Flies! Praying mantises also feed on these pests.

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New Date and Location for Annual Meeting

Due to a forecasted high temperature of 90 / heat index of 100 and a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon of June 28th, our annual community meeting has been rescheduled for July 19th, 10 am, at 987 Via Amorosa (the Petruncio residence). Our driveway is shaded in the morning, so hopefully the 10 am start time will help keep things comfortable.

Thanks,

Emil Petruncio

President, Campus Green Community Association

Minutes of the 13 July 2024 Annual Community Meeting

 Greetings,

The minutes of our 2024 annual Campus Green Community Association meeting are available at this link.  Thanks to those who attended and to Paul and Joan Hemler for hosting.

Regards,

Emil Petruncio

Agenda for 2024 Community Meeting

We will hold our annual meeting at 3 pm on Saturday, July 13th on the lawn of the Hemler residence, 185 Via Dante (bring a chair and a cold drink).  

Agenda for 2024 Campus Green Community Association Annual Meeting

1.    Introductions – Officers, Board Members, and Community Members in Attendance

2.    Reading of the Minutes of Last Meeting

3.    Treasurer’s Report

4.    Announcements

a.      Mosquito Control

b.     College Parkway Safety and Operations Study

c.      Anne Arundel County Region 4 Development Plan (Bill No. 27-24)

5.    Old Business:

a.      Community Sign

b.     Community Clean Up and Dumpster

c.     Community Directory

d.     Mill Creek Stream / Outfall Restoration Project

e.     Broadneck Trail Phase 3

f.     Tommy’s Car Wash

g.    Traffic control during the school year

6.    New Business:

a.    Community Activities

b.    Officer and Board Nominations for 2024-2025

2024 Mosquito Control Program and Exemption Requests

Campus Green is enrolled in the Maryland Department of Agriculture Mosquito Surveillance and Control Program, which will be conducted between May 29th - October 1st 2024.  Our community is scheduled for fogging on Mondays, between 7 pm and 2:30 am, but treatments will be limited to disease case response and exceptionally high population density of adults, to be determined on a case by case basis. Monitoring the adult mosquito population before treatment is required, and treatment will only be carried out if an MDA employee has determined the need for it. Minimum thresholds which must be met for treatment to occur are as follows (any one of these is sufficient):

• Landing rate count of 3 mosquitoes attempting to bite in 2 minutes, OR
• 12 female mosquitoes collected overnight in an un-baited light trap, OR
• 24 female mosquitoes collected overnight in a baited light trap, OR
• Conditions that threaten public health, such as mosquito borne disease

Information on the products used is available here, and Standard Operating Procedures for the 2024 MDA Mosquito Control Program are available here. Further information on the Mosquito Control Program is available here.

To request exemption for your property from the spraying, you can download, print, and complete this form or request a hardcopy via email to CampusGreenAssoc@gmail.com. 

If you have previously requested exemption from spraying, your exemption remains on record, and you do not need to resubmit an exemption request.

If you have the capability to scan in your completed form, please email it to  mosquito.control@maryland.gov.  You can also send it by U.S. mail to:

Program Supervisor
Mosquito Control Section
50 Harry S. Truman Parkway

Annapolis, MD 21401

Minutes of the 5 August 2023 Community Meeting and updates

Hello Neighbors,

The minutes of our annual meeting held on August 5th are available at this link.  Thanks to Kathy Nucifora for writing them up!

To follow up on the discussion at our meeting on restricted visibility at our community sign, Harvey and Laura Hack, Kathy and Natalie Nucifora, and I began removing the oakleaf hydrangea from the area around the sign on August 11th, and then Cary Emery and I finished the job on August 12th. I laid down some mulch to prevent erosion, and we'll refrain from replanting anything for now. I think all will agree that visibility is significantly better now. Thanks to all who helped with this, and a special thanks to Cary for taking the remains of the hydrangea and some branches trimmed from the mulberry tree to the dump!

Please see my update on the post about the College Parkway Safety Study - there will be a meeting for public comment on September 19th, 6-8 pm, at Broadneck High School. See the note for further details.

Regards,

Emil Petruncio

College Parkway Safety and Operational Study - Public Meeting on 19 September

 The Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works is conducting a comprehensive traffic safety and operations study along College Parkway. The scope of the project includes the corridor from MD 2 (Ritchie Highway) to Cape Saint Claire Road, a total of approximately 5 miles.

The goal of this study is to develop recommendations to improve travel safety, mobility, accessibility, and efficiency for all road users. The recommendations will be formalized so that the County can generate actionable items that can be implemented or funded, ranging from low-cost quick-turnaround operations and maintenance activities to capital projects.

The team has completed their data collection on crashes, traffic volume, and traffic speed at all intersections along College Parkway, and is drafting recommendations to address problem areas. The study identified the traffic on College Drive exiting our community and the lanes exiting the community college as a very high volume during peak morning and afternoon hours, in both summer and fall.  A draft plan to ease this high traffic volume is to change the sequencing of the green lights for traffic entering College Parkway from Campus Green and the community college to be concurrent, rather than phased, and to lengthen the time of the green light.

The study will include a 4- to 5-week public comment period via their webpage, from late August through September, and will hold a public meeting at some point in the Fall. They hope to complete their technical report by November and then implement changes or seek funding for actions which require them. 

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PUBLIC MEETING: 19 September, 6-8 pm, at Broadneck High School.  See this note for details. Several of us have concerns about the draft plan to change the sequencing of the green lights at College Drive and College Parkway from phased to concurrent, especially since cars exiting the Community College have two left turn lanes. It's important for many voices to be heard as the Dept of Public Works considers ways to reduce the backups that occur at this intersection.