These invasive insects are taking grassy spaces by storm, leaving only dirt behind.
Invasive Chafer beetles have caused heavy damage to green public areas in Langley City, Canada, to a drastic extent.
What's happening?
The beetles are particularly problematic because they lay their eggs at the roots of grass shoots, where the larvae feed once they hatch. Furthermore, raccoons and crows rip up the dying sod to get to the beetle grubs for sustenance, per the Alder Grove Star.
The result is a messy city full of overturned earth patches and ever-disappearing green.
Langley City's councilor Delaney Mack emphasized the "unsightly" appearance of the haphazardly strewn sod throughout the formerly grassy areas, as well as the difficulty of combating the beetles themselves due to their intrusive nature.
Why is this important?
Invasive species like Chafer beetles cause not only aesthetic impairment to different environments, but also tangible issues within the ecosystem.
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When invasive species take over areas previously run by native organisms, the results are often detrimental to the people and wildlife nearby.
Native species are crucial to keep the environment stable. Invasive species disrupt that balance by hogging food sources, outcompeting keystone flora and fauna, and breaking the pre-established food chain.
Additionally, regional native ecology has been proven to mitigate the spread of disease due to adaptations that best fit the surrounding environment. Conversely, invasive ecology can bring in new health risks that are far harder to combat and react to.
What's being done about this?
Replacing the damaged spaces with new grass would only give the Chafer beetles more food, so a far more focused initiative is necessary to ensure a stable environment and thriving greenery.
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Mowing the lawn 🏡 The problem will be a lengthy one to solve, but Langley homeowners have been provided with potential ways to combat the beetles living in their own yards.
According to Alder Grove Star, these include "beneficial nematodes, tiny parasites that kill beetle larvae, and bacillus thuringiensis galleriae (Btg), a microbial product that kills beetles when they ingest it."
That way, while the city gears up to battle the beetles, people can still protect their own lawns and plants from the invasive species as well.
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