The Zurich authorities are stepping up their efforts to eliminate the population of Japanese beetles discovered last year in Kloten. The town’s football fields are now covered with tarpaulins, as previous measures were not sufficient.
Infested with Japanese beetle larvae, the football fields of FC Kloten were covered in an attempt to eradicate this population of beetles which is particularly harmful to 300 species of plants and trees.
The FC Kloten teams will probably no longer be able to use its grounds this year. The tarpaulins that cover them must cause the grass to die back in order to deprive the Japanese beetle larvae of food and to prevent those that survive from flying away, once they become beetles.
Covered football fields in Kloten (ZH) against the Japanese beetle – Gallery
Infested with Japanese beetle larvae, the football fields of FC Kloten were covered in an attempt to eradicate this population of beetles which is particularly harmful to 300 species of plants and trees.
The FC Kloten teams will probably no longer be able to use its grounds this year. The tarpaulins that cover them must cause the grass to die back in order to deprive the Japanese beetle larvae of food and to prevent those that survive from flying away, once they become beetles.
“We assume that the football fields are the epicenter of the Japanese beetle invasion in Kloten,” Fiona Eyer, from the cantonal plant health service, told the media gathered on Tuesday. By covering them with plastic sheeting, the pest is combated on different levels, she explains.
The dieback of the covered lawn leads to the death of the beetle larvae, deprived of food. And if some of them still managed to develop into beetles, the tarpaulin would prevent them from taking flight. In addition, any beetles still present in Kloten at the end of summer would no longer be able to lay eggs on the football field.
Drastic method, also for FC Kloten
The covering of the city’s football fields is one of the most important measures taken to date. It will last at least until the fall. “We are optimistic about the chances of success of this drastic measure,” said Fiona Eyer.
For FC Kloten, the measure will also have drastic consequences. Its teams will no longer be able to train or play matches on club grounds. This was already the case last summer because of the presence of Japanese beetles. However, there is no legal basis giving him the right to financial compensation.
With last year’s measurements
At the same time, the Zurich authorities will take further measures. Most of them had already been taken last year without eradicating the beetle. These include the use of insecticides and traps.
Watering will be prohibited again during the summer to prevent females from laying eggs in wet soils. Like last year, biological waste from the municipality and neighboring observation zones cannot be disposed of elsewhere. Through these measures, the canton follows the directives of the Confederation.
First population north of the Alps
The Japanese beetles discovered last summer in Kloten constitute the first population found north of the Alps. Measuring 8 to 12 millimeters, this beetle insect attacks around 300 plants from various families, including berries, fruit trees, vines, corn, roses, lime trees, birches and even maples. .
It has been present in Italy since 2014. In Switzerland, it was initially found in large numbers only in Ticino. It was then discovered in isolation in the cantons of Solothurn and Basel-Stadt from 2019.
At the end of last summer, Japanese beetles were also spotted in the Valais municipalities of Zwischenbergen and Simplon. The canton of Valais has implemented specific measures to try to eradicate the beetle.
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