Pests Japanese beetles threaten the nature reserve at Lauerzersee SZ
A small population of Japanese beetles has been found in the Sägel nature reserve in the municipality of Arth SZ. The Schwyz State Chancellery announced on Thursday that nematodes will be used from next week to combat the pest.
19.09.2024, 09:09
SDA
A total of eight Japanese beetles were found using scent traps in the Sägel nature reserve, according to the Schwyz State Chancellery. Five were found in the nature reserve and three just outside the wetland.
The nature reserve is an ideal place for the Japanese beetle to lay its eggs due to its damp and grass-covered habitats, it said. And because the discovered population is still small, "swift" action must be taken.
From next week, nematodes will be spread within a radius of 300 meters. According to the press release, these reproduce in the larvae of the pest and kill them. Open water areas and reeds should not be treated with the tiny worms, according to the State Chancellery. The nematodes are "completely harmless" to humans and animals, the State Chancellery wrote.
The Japanese beetle, which looks similar to the cockchafer, causes damage to more than 400 host plants, according to the statement. In other words, plants on which the pest lives or on which it feeds. The damage potential is estimated at several hundred million francs per year.
