The provincial government is taking the presence of a destructive invasive species very seriously, with the possibility of a spray program to be used to help eradicate the pest.
The Japanese beetle has no known natural predators and can cause widespread damage, destroying everything from garden plants to fruits and vegetables.
Director of Agricultural Research with the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture, Sabrina Ellsworth told Tim Powers on VOCM that the pest is a serious concern.
An insect trap tied to a fence in Bannerman Park (VOCM News)
“The beetle has been detected here in the past on occasion, and those beetles have been males and of less concern,” however says Ellsworth, what makes the discovery of 14 beetles this year in the downtown area of St. John’s so different is that there are females among them. “And those females of course can lay eggs, and the eggs and the larvae are surviving, what we’re suspecting, now in our milder winters.”
Officials have set up traps in areas where the beetles have been detected so they can get a better handle on the extent of the problem and they can develop an eradication plan. While people are being encouraged to kill the green and bronze beetles if they see them, Ellsworth says she’d prefer if you take a picture first, note where you saw it, and let them know.
