Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) in British Columbia: The battle to eradicate continues

Japanese Beetle Popillia japonica, a regulated pest in Canada, was detected in annual survey by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for the first time in Vancouver, British Columbia, in July 2017. While most of eastern North America including parts of eastern Canada is infested or partially infested with Japanese beetle, the Pacific Northwest States and BC  are free of this pest. The Vancouver area is highly urbanized and surrounded by a high value and diverse agriculture sector, as well as unique and diverse natural environment. In response to this pest incursion, a collaboration of 3 levels of government, industry, and a non-government organization, we set out to eradicate the pest from British Columbia.

 Surveillance with pheromone-baited traps has been the cornerstone for data collection and tracking success of our program towards the goal of pest eradication. Ground treatment of turf and landscape beds with insecticide has been done for five seasons, 2018-2022.  Beetle numbers have plummeted in surveys as a result of treatments and movement control regulations. However, new positive locations have been detected in 2021 in 2 adjacent cities. While the lower numbers are encouraging, the wider distribution is concerning. The partners unanimously agree that no individual group would have been successful on their own and successes to date are a result of the collaborative efforts of all the partners. Information about our process and some innovations as well as successes and challenges will be shared.