CLEVELAND — White-tailed deer frequent Mary Keith's garden on Cleveland's east side, or what's left of it.
Something else got to her vegetable plants before the deer: spotted lanternflies.
"I've got a tree in the back there that's full of them," Keith says. "They sure can hop!"
To the west in nearby Rocky River, city arborist Rich Snyder has seen them, too.
"Unfortunately, spotted lanternfly is here to stay," he admits.
Let's face it: The spotted lanternfly showing up all across Ohio. It's in 12 counties, to be exact, including Cuyahoga, Erie, and Lorain.
"We're finding them in urban areas around Cleveland, around Toledo, Columbus, and Cincinnati, as well," Jonathan Sheilds with the Ohio Department of Agriculture told 3News.
The vagabond pests are poor flyers, but they latch onto cars, trucks, and trains like little invasive hobos, spreading across Ohio and beyond. Researchers have studied their ability to latch onto moving vehicles.
"They put them in a wind tunnel and have found they can hold on at speeds up to 100 kilometers an hour," Sheilds said. For reference, those are highway speeds!
When they get hungry, they just hop off and start sipping sap.
"There are about 100 or more hosts they've been documented feeding on," according to Sheilds.
Many are ornamental, invasive trees like the tree of heaven. Others include maple trees, apples, peaches, and pears, along with grapes used to make Ohio wines.
Jeff Bailey and his wife Shari own Auburn Acres Farm in Geauga County, one of 35 hops yards in Ohio. They are very watchful over their vines.
"As a group, the Ohio Hops Growers Guild, we share information all the time," Shari explained. "So when we would hear it was spotted in this county in Ohio, we would share that information with each other."
They haven't found any spotted lanternflies yet, but they think it's just a matter of time, not good news if you enjoy locally crafted beer or wine.
"If the hop plants are affected, the price is going to go up because there's not going to be as much," Jeff said. "It's supply and demand, you know?"
We may have lost the initial battle against these invaders, but the war continues, with the help of Keith.
"If you see them, kill 'em!" she declared.
Snyder concurs.
"Squish it."
Keep the fight going!