Loudoun County Volunteers Scrape 1M Lanternfly Eggs

Thousands of volunteers are rolling up their sleeves to protect Virginia wine country from a tiny but destructive invader.

Bill Hatch, owner of Zephaniah Farm Vineyards near Leesburg, spends hours on his hands and knees scraping polka-dotted egg pods off his grape vines. He calls the spotted lanternflies inside "vampires" because they latch onto plants and drain the nutrients his wine grapes need to thrive.

With thousands of egg pods clinging to vines across Loudoun County, warm spring weather will soon trigger them to hatch. That's where the community steps in.

The annual "Scrape for the Grape" event invites volunteers to help vineyard owners remove the egg masses before they destroy the region's wine industry. The event kicks off Saturday at 10 a.m., with additional sessions on April 4 and April 12.

The results speak for themselves. At one vineyard last year, volunteers scraped away 1 million egg sacs in a single three-hour period, according to Mike Littman of the Loudoun Invasive Removal Alliance.

Beth Erickson of Visit Loudoun County says the stakes are high. The county's vineyards attract 1 million visitors every year, making wine the region's top tourist draw and a crucial part of the local economy.

Armed with handy cards depicting crossed-out lanternflies, volunteers work together to protect the countryside they love. Participants receive souvenir scrapers, T-shirts, and bandannas.

The Ripple Effect

What started as vineyard owners desperately trying to save their businesses has blossomed into a community celebration. Neighbors help neighbors, visitors become environmental stewards, and everyone walks away knowing they made a real difference.

The scraping work can get messy, but Littman says watching people come together makes it worthwhile. Hundreds of volunteers show up each year, turning pest control into a social event that strengthens community bonds while protecting local livelihoods.

One simple action with a plastic scraper prevents millions of destructive bugs from hatching and saves an industry that defines the region's character.