Kamloops reports Japanese beetle

An integrated response to a Japanese beetle infestation in BC has won a key battle but the war continues.

The invasive pest, native to Japan and first identified in Canada in 1939, is an increasing problem for Ontario tender fruit growers. Regular monitoring discovered it in a park overlooking False Creek in downtown Vancouver in 2017, sparking a collaborative response from industry and government to prevent its spread.

The green scarab beetle has the potential to cause tens of millions of dollars in damage to horticultural crops in Oregon, which has been dealing with an extensive infestation since 2016. One of the worst-infested properties since 2020 has been a blueberry farm, a warning of the impacts the beetle could have if it becomes established in the Fraser Valley.

But there were no beetle detections in Vancouver last year, according to a year-end report from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Reduced numbers of beetles were also detected in Burnaby and the Tri-Cities area, where regulated areas have been established to limit its spread.

“These initial results are a demonstration of the efficacy of a long-term, collaborative commitment to protecting BC’s agricultural and horticultural industries, along with the environmental landscape,” the CFIA reported.

It intends to maintain current movement controls and surveillance activities through 2025 in order to prevent re-introduction of the pest to Vancouver and continue to tamp down on populations in the surrounding suburbs.

Ongoing vigilance is needed, given that a single beetle was found in Abbotsford in 2024, and 11 beetles were apprehended in Kamloops.

“CFIA will conduct enhanced surveillance (trapping) activities in and around the detection sites to gather information on the number of beetles present in the vicinity of the initial detections,” the federal agency reported.

The detection of single beetles is not necessarily cause for alarm; single beetles have been detected in Delta and Richmond in the past, with no subsequent detections.

The discovery in Kamloops is more concerning, and trapping this year will determine if the bug is becoming established in the city and guide control and eradication efforts.