They’re Beautiful, Deadly, and Probably in Your Neighborhood
One serene morning on the deck, I noticed what looked like a harmless leaf clinging to the planter box. But as I leaned closer, it shifted — and dread sank in. It wasn’t a leaf. It was an insect. And there wasn’t just one. I’d read the warnings: if you see even a single one, your home is already at risk. My pulse spiked as I realized I had to act before they…
I never thought I’d be the one writing this. Last Wednesday morning, I was sipping coffee on the deck, feeling smug about how well I’d kept up the yard this summer. The sky was pale and quiet, the bird feeder nearly empty, the breeze just cool enough to keep the mosquitoes at bay. In short, it was a perfect morning—until I saw them.
At first, I assumed it was just a leaf stuck to the side of the planter box. Then it moved. And then I realized there wasn’t just one. There were six. Six mottled, flat-bodied insects creeping in slow unison along the rim of my marigolds like some kind of coordinated reconnaissance squad. My heart climbed into my throat.
