Pests Japanese beetles found near the Gunzgen SO highway service station

Five Japanese beetles have been found at the Gunzgen Süd service area on the A1 highway. Threadworms are being used to combat the pest, as the canton of Solothurn announced on Friday.

Four males of the Japanese beetle had already been found in an attractant trap south of the Gunzgen Süd freeway service area in mid-August. The plant protection service of the canton of Solothurn subsequently stepped up trap monitoring, but only found one more beetle.

As the traps were set at the end of the adult beetles' flight period, no further finds are to be expected. As stipulated by the federal government, the cantonal plant protection service has ordered measures to combat the Japanese beetle within a radius of 500 meters of the site where it was found.

Microscopic threadworms, which are released in Gunzgen, are intended to prevent the larvae (grubs) of the Japanese beetle from surviving in the soil. The affected landowners were informed on Thursday evening, according to the canton.

The Japanese beetle can cause major damage to its more than 400 host plants. In addition to agricultural crops such as maize, fruit trees, berries and vines, it also attacks trees, ornamental plants and lawns. The damage potential in Switzerland is estimated at several hundred million francs per year.

SDA