Symbiotic Sustenance 

︎ Creators: Anika Gupta, Ava Maghsoodlou, and Nick Bouffard
︎ Supervisor: Peter Yeadon


This regenerative food system focuses on the Spotted Lanternfly (SLF), specifically the relationship between their excretions (honeydew) and local bees. SLFs, which are invasive to the USA and native to China, feed on the sap of trees, with a very clear preference for the sap of the Tree of Heaven (TOH). This invasive tree species in the USA is also native to China, and releases toxins through its roots that negatively impact surrounding native plants. Upon consuming the sap of this tree, the SLFs excrete honeydew, a sugary substance which is then harvested by bees for their honey production, creating an antimicrobial honey. In this project, this relationship is nurtured by the design of a space where such interactions could be encouraged for our benefit, while also mitigating the harm of invasive species on local ecosystems.

The project is set in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, where approximately one-quarter of the nation's SLF sightings have originated from. Components for our system are provided by the local environment, rather than through the breeding of new organisms, as this enables us to decrease local invasive populations while still harvesting the resources we need in a controlled environment. In doing so, we rely on TOHs that are already growing locally, which we will transplant into a total of 20 greenhouse pavilions set in Pittsburgh’s local parks. These pavilions attract the local SLF population through a system of one-way netting traps set on tall vertical poles, taking advantage of the SLF’s negative geotaxis. At the top of each pole, a device sends out vibrations at a 60 Hz frequency, which has also been proven to attract SLFs. Within the habitat, the invasive SLFs feed on the invasive TOH, producing large amounts of honeydew which are then washed off by a pressurized water system and collected as runoff at the base of the tree.

The design includes a 24’ tall habitat pavilion that houses the TOH, a sprinkler system, a runoff basin system, and (an estimated) 4,000 lanternflies each. The water used to rinse off the leaves is sourced from the park’s preexisting groundwater irrigation system; 26 sprinklers run at 6 AM each day to inhibit the growth of sooty mold. The runoff feeds into a gutter system, which passes through a filter before entering a 40-gallon storage tank. The solution is then pumped into an electric truck that transports it to a centralized location that includes an apiary and distribution facility. Alongside the runoff collection tank are two waste bins that catch and separate solid debris from the liquid runoff, including TOH leaves and branches, as well as SLF bodies.

Upon arrival at the apiary, the honeydew solution is put through continuous Reverse Osmosis (RO) filtering. The resulting (daily) 320g of honeydew is re-diluted into a 2:1 honeydew:water solution and fed to two bee colonies through an inverted jar placed atop each hive. The honeydew-derived honey will be collected twice annually, once in July and once in September, producing 192kg of honey per cycle, which is then bottled, packaged, and made available for community purchase and distributed to medical NGOs.

The leftover water from the RO filtering is sent to a groundwater recharge system in order to cycle back into the groundwater irrigation system. Organic waste, such as leaf litter and lanternfly and bee corpses, are sent to a composting facility to help rehabilitate native species. After 3-4 years of the growth and harvest cycle, the trapped TOH is removed from its housing and sent to an external processing facility, where it is processed into composite board, cellulose insulation, biochar, or another biomaterial product.