How to humanely deal with pests without using cruel traps or harmful chemicals

A squirrel sitting on a backyard deck in Long Island, New York. — Photos: JESSICA DAMIANO/ AP

I’ve seen a rash of social media posts recommending the application of sticky-tape bands around tree trunks to prevent spotted lanternflies and other garden pests from accessing tree canopies and munching on foliage.

But those bands also catch caterpillars, butterflies, bees and birds, which would be difficult to free without ripping off their limbs or breaking their wings.