Government monitoring detections of Japanese Beetle

The Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture is working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and industry stakeholders to respond to increased detections of Japanese beetle in the St. John’s area.

The beetle, an invasive species in Canada, is regulated under the Plant Protection Act by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s Pest Surveillance Program.

There have been isolated and sporadic occurrences of Japanese beetle in Newfoundland and Labrador since 2014.

Last year, Japanese beetles were detected in the environment in St. John’s, indicating potential overwintering since there is no evidence linking the detections to imported plant material, as in previous occurrences.

Japanese beetles can spread quickly, especially via wind, or through transportation of soil and plants. If not controlled, this insect poses a serious threat to agriculture, horticulture, landscaping and forestry industries, and may result in damage to lawns, sports fields and golf courses. Japanese beetle is known to feed on more than 300 plant species and has no natural predators.