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in recent years, an insect called the japanese beetle has become an invasive species and has proliferated in north america and europe. in switzerland, the japanese beetle has caused great concern among local agricultural and pest control experts. let's take a look at the report from cctv reporters.

dr. gisele grabenweg is a scientist at the swiss institute of agricultural sciences who is responsible for biological control and pest management. in recent years, the appearance of japanese beetles in zurich and basel, switzerland, has made him quite worried, because this means that this invasive insect has begun to appear in the northern alps.

giselle grabenweg, a scientist at the swiss institute of agricultural sciences: the japanese beetle has been a topic of discussion in switzerland since 2017 and has been discussed throughout europe for several years. europe has already listed it as a dangerous pest and considers it a current pest. this means that if new outbreaks are found, they must be eradicated.

the japanese beetle is native to japan, where it is not a serious pest because there are no large areas suitable for its reproduction and development. however, as an invasive species, the japanese beetle has proliferated in north america and europe, harming crops.

giselle grabenweg, a scientist at the swiss institute of agricultural sciences: for example, in europe, wine is one of the most economically important products, but it is also threatened by the japanese beetle. other threatened products include stone fruits such as cherries and plums, as well as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc. if the peak flight period of the beetle coincides with the peak harvest period of these fruits, it may result in 100% loss.

dr. gisele, head of the japanese beetle control team at the swiss academy of agricultural sciences, admits that in areas where the pest has broken out on a large scale, the japanese beetle can no longer be completely eradicated. switzerland's current strategy is to control the number of japanese beetles to prevent damage to crops and reduce the risk of further spread.

after being informed of the laboratory's rules and regulations, dr. giselle led the reporter into the biological disaster prevention laboratory. after the beetle was discovered in the country, the swiss government implemented strict control measures, stipulating that live beetles used in experiments must be isolated in a laboratory behind a heavy door lock.

after entering the laboratory door, there is a corridor and then two connected doors. only when the previous door is closed can the next door be opened. the space between the two doors remains dark. this is to utilize the phototaxis of insects to prevent harmful species from escaping from the laboratory when the door is opened.

cctv reporter yang chun: after passing through three tightly closed doors, we entered the biological laboratory. the doctor and i put on clothes with this logo. if you can see clearly, there is a big beetle logo on the clothes, and below it is the name of their biological control project.

giselle grabenweg, a scientist at the swiss institute of agricultural sciences: the characteristic features of the japanese beetle are the five tufts of white hair on each side of the body, two tufts on the back and two tufts on the abdomen. the local species of beetles, i can show you some specimens of local species of beetles later, they are very similar in size and color, but they do not have these five tufts of white hair.

in the face of the invasion of japanese beetles, swiss agricultural departments have adopted physical and chemical control measures, and scientists are also trying biological control methods. dr. giselle has found a fungus in the laboratory that can infect japanese beetles and turn them into zombies, but this method is still a long way from practical application.

source: cctv news client