Volunteers kill off staggering number of insects that have been wreaking havoc on communities: 'We exceeded our expectations'

Volunteers in Northern Virginia turned out in large numbers for an annual event aimed at curbing the spread of the spotted lanternfly, an invasive species in local vineyards.

The latest Scrape for the Grape event, organized by the Loudoun Invasive Removal Alliance, was the largest yet.

The organization's president, Michael Littman, told Patch: "Based on this year's exponential growth of volunteers, host sites, and spotted lanternflies that were eliminated, I'd say we exceeded our expectations."

The spotted lanternfly was first found within the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014 and has since spread to other states.

According to Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the spotted lanternfly lives for about a year and lays eggs in September. These pesky bugs have a real sweet tooth; they use their piercing-sucking mouthparts to drill holes in the phloem of a plant to get to its sap. They secrete a sticky fluid that damages plants. Grapes are one of their preferred hosts, but they've been found causing damage to 70 types of plants, per the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The final haul of this year's Scrape for the Grape drive netted an impressive 181,058 egg sacs, which means there will be over 6 million fewer spotted lanternflies wrecking Loudoun County's vineyards come summer — a sixfold increase on last year's effort.

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Invasive species harm the local ecosystem by competing with native plants and animals for resources. Without natural predators, it can be hard to constrain an invasive species once it spreads to a new area; conversely, native plants and animals work in harmony with the local ecosystem. A wild yard with native plants is not only better for the environment, but it's also more cost-effective and easier for the homeowner to maintain.

One of the side benefits of the drive was that it provided local volunteers with the opportunity to learn more about invasive species and foster a sense of community spirit.

As one of the volunteers told Patch: "I'll definitely be checking for egg masses in my yard, now that I know what I'm looking for."

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