From the beginning of May until the end of the flight season, the grass fields at the Stighag sports complex in Kloten will be covered with plastic film, as the canton of Zurich announced on Thursday. This film is intended to prevent any Japanese beetles from flying out.
In addition, surveillance traps are set up in Kloten and the surrounding communities. If Japanese beetles are found in these traps from the beginning of the flight period in early summer, the canton of Zurich will, as it did last year, impose a ban on watering lawns and green areas.
In this case, the canton will set up an “attraction area” for female beetles. They prefer to lay their eggs in moist meadows or lawns. An irrigated “attraction area” creates a favorable place for laying eggs, while this is no longer attractive in unirrigated areas, writes the canton.
The federal government wants to eradicate the beetle
In the fall, the “attraction area” would then be treated several times with nematodes so that all Japanese beetle larvae would be killed. It is still unclear whether insecticide will be sprayed directly onto the host plants this year. These measures were defined by the federal government. However, the canton of Zurich is responsible for implementation.
The goal set by the federal government is still to eradicate the infestation in Kloten while it is still manageable. The invasive beetles can cause major damage to over 400 host plants. These include berries, fruit trees, vines or corn, but also roses and trees such as maple, birch or linden.
The first Japanese beetles were discovered in Kloten in July 2023. At that time it was the first population of the pest north of the Alps.