Canadian Food Inspection Agency Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
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 are for the most part free of this pest. The climate in the northwest is ideal for establishment of most temperate insects including P. japonica, with moderate summers and lots of moisture and minimal freezing during the winter. 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 established committees made up of staff from various agencies and 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 three seasons, 2018-2020. Beetle numbers have plummeted in surveys as a result of treatments and movement control regulations which is very encouraging. 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.
