DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis reminded residents on Saturday about the presence of Japanese beetles, calling the insect first introduced to Colorado in the early 1990s “a problem.”
Japanese beetles, which are considered an invasive pest, were introduced into the eastern United States more than 100 years ago before moving west by way of nursery stock sold in trade and on its own from plant to plant.
The invasive pests have known infested areas in the Front Range and were discovered in Mesa County in the summer of 2022, according to the state, which said it works to educate homeowners in the Grand Junction area about the detection of the Japanese beetles and how to set up traps.
The state warns that precautions must be taken to keep Japanese beetles from further spreading into noninfested areas of Colorado, including by monitoring plants and turf for their presence.
The Colorado Nursery Act also aims to help slow the progression of the insect and prevent new state introductions by prohibiting the sale of plants containing Japanese beetle adults or larvae in the root zone.
A Japanese beetle quarantine was also adopted in 2010 to prevent new Colorado introductions and was later expanded to include the counties of Pueblo, El Paso, Douglas, Arapahoe, Jefferson, Denver, Boulder, Broomfield, Adams, Weld and Larimer, to prevent spread from known infested areas in the Front Range to locations in eastern Colorado and the West Slope.
The insects start emerging out of the soil early to mid-June and are typically most active through July and early August, depending on soil temperature, according to Denver-based pest control service OBEX Pest Defense.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
