Invasive Japanese beetles found outside downtown core in Kamloops, B.C.
Canadian Food Inspection Agency urges residents to report and store beetles if they see them
A Kamloops, B.C., resident has reported invasive Japanese beetles outside the city's downtown core — an area which is considered a containment zone for the foliage-eating species.
Also known as Popillia japonica, the invasive pest feeds on the roots of grass and the foliage of more than 300 plant species.
The CFIA recognizes the insect's spread as a threat to commercial crops and native plants, and the Invasive Species Council of B.C. says it "poses a severe threat to ecosystems and industries."
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Late last year, the beetles were detected in the B.C. Interior city of Kamloops, the first time the pests were detected in B.C. outside the Lower Mainland.
Japanese beetles are known to munch on grass roots and more than 300 plant species. (CBC/Radio-Canada)
It prompted the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to set up a containment zone around the city's downtown core to prevent the spread of the beetles and start a survey to assess it.
Anyone transporting whole plants, soil and certain plant matter outside the zone has to get a movement certificate signed off by the CFIA — but a Kamloops resident living outside the city's regulated area recently discovered a swarm of the pests in her garden.
The containment zone for the Japanese beetles in Kamloops is centred around the downtown core — but one resident found beetles in her yard on the city's west side. (Canadian Food Inspection Agency)
"Every time I come out, every few hours, I check the plants because I certainly don't want these spreading. And I find more," Laine Martin, who lives on the city's west side near the fire hall, told CBC News on Monday.
Martin had just returned from a vacation when she discovered almost 50 beetles on her rose and raspberry bushes.
Laine Martin said she found over 50 Japanese beetles on her plants after she returned from vacation, and she lives outside the designated containment zone for the pests. (Jenifer Norwell/CBC)
"I think that Kamloops has a problem, and I think we have to be proactive and try to combat this spread," she said.
"If that means additional spraying to other areas that were outside the quarantine zone, let's get on top of this."
CFIA says no cause for alarm yet
Jason Crandall, the CFIA's planning chief for the Japanese beetle eradication response in B.C., said it was only the first year of their Japanese beetle survey in Kamloops.
He urged residents to report any Japanese beetles if they find them, and trap and freeze them so inspectors can more accurately map their spread.
"It's the first year of the proper survey. So you know, if you're out in your backyard and you're looking at your roses ... and you find beetles, don't panic," he said.
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"It's important to act. But you shouldn't let that spin into fear."
The CFIA requires anyone wanting to transport plants and soil matter outside containment zones to get a movement certificate first. (Canadian Food Inspection Agency)
Crandall said the CFIA's response to the invasive Japanese beetle involves spraying plants with pesticide, which he says is incredibly effective at killing the pests, as well as regulating the movement of plant matter to prevent the beetles' spread.
"Instead of just guessing or having a broad area of treatment, it's better with pesticides to have a more targeted area," he said. "And the more data we collect, the more targeted we could be."
Danielle Sparks, environmental services supervisor with the City of Kamloops, said the Canadian Food Inspection Agency was taking the lead on the Japanese beetle response in the city. (Jenifer Norwell/CBC)
Danielle Sparks, the City of Kamloops's environmental services supervisor, dubbed the Japanese beetles a "hitchhiker species" that don't fly very far.
"They do rely on humans for spreading to different areas. So trying to prevent hitchhikers is key," she said.
"If you can, try to keep your plant waste on site, on your property [via] composting."
This article, written by Akshay Kulkarni, was originally published for CBC News