In this WTOP News article, Lou Meyer from Davey's Mid-Atlantic region shares how spotted lanternflies are weakening our trees and how to stop them. 

Posted: July 02, 2025

Tree branches with green foliage and a white sky behind it.It’s the time of year when yards across the D.C. region are invaded by a pest not native to our area.

Twelve years ago, the Asian spotted lanternfly was first seen outside Philadelphia. Experts believe the spotted lanternfly made its way here on shipping containers that held their egg masses.

While the spotted lanternfly does not sting or bite, it does hop, as Elly Rowe, WTOP’s marketing director, can confirm.

“They have been hopping off of plants, hopping onto my pets,” Rowe said. “It freaks me out.”

Lou Meyer, an arborist with Davey Tree Expert Company, told WTOP the spotted lanternfly hops instead of flying, as bees and other insects do.

To continue reading Lou's advice, click here. 

The Davey Tree Expert Company, headquartered in Kent, Ohio, provides research-driven tree services, grounds maintenance and environmental and utility infrastructure consulting for residential, utility, commercial and environmental partners in the U.S. and Canada. As one of the top ten largest employee-owned companies in the U.S., Davey's 12,000 employees have been dedicated to creating and delivering sustainable solutions since 1880. Apply today to join the Davey legacy, and learn about how we're growing with our new SEED Campus

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