Presentation short abstract

The spotted lanternfly (SLF) is frequently positioned as an ecological nemesis, but for beekeepers in the U.S., the honey that comes from SLF honeydew offers something beneficial and through which to view dynamic relations of care and insect invasiveness alike.

Presentation long abstract

In this article, I use lanternfly honey as a prism to explore the economic and ecological entanglements of living with invasivity among the more-than-human world. As the spotted lanternfly (SLF) spreads across the US, public messaging tends to frame it as an ecological nemesis that demands eradication and strict control measures. Yet the lanternfly’s honeydew (excretions) also can result in a bountiful production of spotted lanternfly honey, made by honeybees. This honey has rapidly arisen as a new commercially successful varietal for local beekeepers. Through qualitative research interviews with the beekeeping community, we explored the socio-ecological entanglements surrounding the honey and beekeepers’ relationality with spotted lanternflies. Broadly, we argue that beekeepers are learning to live with other species amid changing perceptions of insect invasiveness, and suggest an openness to experimentation and changing aesthetics as features of a movement towards greater ecological reconciliation, even in uncertain and precarious ecological contexts.