Homeowner amazed by fascinating natural phenomenon on their porch: 'It's hard to tell where my light fixture ends'

A homeowner made a spooky discovery on their front porch just a few days before Halloween.

"It's hard to tell where my light fixture ends and the Bald Faced Hornets nest begins," wrote the homeowner in a post to Reddit.

Believe it or not, the nest was a welcome sight for the homeowner. Not only did it provide a free Halloween decoration, but it also offered a solution to something even scarier: the invasive spotted lanternfly.

Spotted lanternflies spread to the United States from Asia and have become a major nuisance without any natural enemies to keep their population in check. They feed on a wide range of plants, including hardwood trees, stone fruits, hops, and grapes, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. When spotted lanternflies eat, they excrete a sticky, sugary fluid that can cause mold growth on leaves, further harming plants.

The sugary substance attracts stinging insects, including the omnivorous bald-faced hornet, which may eat the spotted lanternfly. This makes bald-faced hornets an excellent low-effort and eco-friendly solution to curbing spotted lanternfly populations.

Other solutions include squishing or stomping spotted lanternflies and their eggs whenever they're seen. While this solution is free and easy and can be done without harming the local ecosystem, it isn't as simple as letting bald-faced hornets put in the work.

Sometimes, pesticides are used to kill spotted lanternflies. The pesticides are injected directly into trees, killing the insects while they feed. This is a harmful solution because it can inadvertently kill nontarget organisms, such as beneficial insects, birds, fish, and other wildlife. Runoff from the pesticides can also contaminate local soil and water sources with toxic chemicals.

Natural solutions, whether in the form of invasive species control or how to landscape your front yard, are always better for the environment. Plus, they are easier and cheaper to maintain.

For example, unlike grass lawns, native plants have evolved to survive and even thrive on local rainfall. They also help defend against weeds by outcompeting them for water and other essential nutrients. This means saving money and time that might otherwise be wasted on water, fertilizers, and pesticides required to maintain grass and other nonnative landscapes.

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Pollinators will love it too. Just a few flowers will attract them and provide shelter and a food source while they pollinate the plants.

Back on the Reddit post, the homeowner shared that the bald-faced hornets had been attracted to their garden, pollinating their plants in addition to reducing spotted lanternflies around their house.

"Wow you are brave!" commented one user in response to the post.  "But it looks SUPER cool and the pest control is crucial!"

"Nice to see a post appreciating these guys," wrote another person.

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