The City of Port Coquitlam has commenced proactive measures to protect local parks and green spaces from the invasive Japanese beetle with a scheduled larvicide treatment currently underway.
Following the detection of Japanese beetles in community traps, the City has received a Provincial Notice of Requirement to treat public lands. To comply with this order, the City will be undertaking treatment of public lands throughout spring 2025. Treatment will target turf areas in boulevards, medians, and landscape beds on public land in both the north and south sides of Port Coquitlam. Maps detailing the specific treatment locations can be found at portcoquitlam.ca/japanesebeetle.
About the Treatment:
Treatments consist of applying Acelepryn directly to the soil. This targeted approach effectively controls root-eating grubs and is not harmful to people, pets, mammals, birds, bees, butterflies, or other animals. The larvicide Acelepryn is approved for use in Canada by the Pest Management Agency of Health Canada and is permitted under the City’s Pesticide Use Control Bylaw No. 3767 4(c).
To ensure the larvicide treatment is effective in controlling the Japanese beetle population, residents are asked to avoid these areas on treatment days. City staff and signage will be present at each site to provide program details and best practices, including keeping pets off the treated grass.
The Japanese beetle is an invasive, federally regulated pest first introduced to eastern North America from Japan in 1916. It was detected in the False Creek area of Vancouver in 2017, and since then, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has been conducting extensive trapping and eradication efforts across Metro Vancouver, including Port Coquitlam.
For additional information residents are encourage to visit portcoquitlam.ca/japanesebeetle or contact Public Works at 604.927.5496 or email [email protected].
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