In the 1880s, California farmers saved their citrus crops from the invasive cottony cushion scale by introducing the Vedalia beetle—a landmark success in biological control. Today, scientists like Dr. Mark Hoddle are exploring similar methods, such as parasitic wasps, to fight the destructive spotted lanternfly. Hoddle warns that biocontrol must be done carefully: “I don’t want to be responsible for releasing something and they call it the ‘Hoddle Plague’ that destroyed California.” Still, he believes the risk of doing nothing is greater. “When we succeed, an invasive organism doesn’t become a huge problem and nobody hears of it,” he says, highlighting that responsible biocontrol can quietly prevent major ecological damage.