Lock your doors and hide your daughters: Japanese beetles are on the loose! The Westside is covered with signs warning beetles to stay out... but where did they come from? vancouver vancouvernews vancouverbc vancouvercanada vancouverite
Japanese beetles were first detected in False Creek back in 2017. While Vancouver proudly welcomes immigrants from the world over, this is apparently where the city draws the line. Maybe if Japanese beetles contributed to the economy instead of gorging on all our fave crops it would be a different story, but they’re what scientists call the “bad boys of the entomology world,” skeletonizing the leaves of important agricultural species and then not even calling them in the morning.
Grapes, corn, berries, apples: these rascals are insatiable… but damn, do they look good as they’re ruining our farming economy. Practically as wide as they are long—no wonder these dudes exhibit such raw, short-king energy—they’re the same metallic green as the skort I wore to my grade seven graduation, with wings the colour of that skort after I left my bronze glitter gel pen in the pocket and sent it through the wash.
No one knows where they came from but to combat the spread of this devastating pest, the Invasive Species Council of B.C. has posted signs all around the west side explaining that they aren’t welcome here. One major problem with this method, of course, is that Japanese beetles can’t read. But anyone who can read and also has spotted a beetle is urged to call the authorities.
What’s always striking to me about these giant signs is that they exist when there are so many other things Vancouverites should be on alert about that do not get their own dedicated government publicity budget. Where are the posters warning us about dangerous members of society like drug kingpins , or people who make calls on speakerphone on the bus? There’s only so much real estate on a telephone pole, I suppose, so the messages that do get posted have to be really important—a.k.a.
Beetles mostly get spread around by landscapers, who inadvertently transfer them from district to district in bags of yard waste. The signs are helping to remind city crews to be mindful with soil and plants, I guess in the same way that my workplace often has similar notes and reminders for us as team members . It’s hard to tell if the call for vigilance is paying off.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Toronto is the top city in Canada for UFO sightings by a wide marginIf you had brought up UFOs in a serious conversation a decade ago, you probably would have been laughed out of the room. Now firmly in the mainstre...
Read more »
VIDEO: Seattle becomes first U.S. city to ban caste discrimination - Terrace StandardVIDEO: Seattle becomes first U.S. city to ban caste discrimination
Read more »
Toronto sees more suspected UFO sightings than any other Canadian city, data findsIf you live in Toronto and think you’ve seen UFOs lately, you’re not alone. Toronto took the top spot on the list of Canadian cities, with 263 alleged UFO sightings and an average duration time of about 16 minutes.
Read more »
City of St. John's seeking public input on new heritage plan | SaltWireST. JOHN'S, N.L. — The City of St. John’s is holding two public information sessions to gather residents' feedback to help develop the city’s new heritage ...
Read more »
City of Kingston, Ont. commits to building 8,000 residential units by 2031 - Kingston | Globalnews.caFollowing a goal laid out by the Ontario government, Kingston city council has made a pledge to have 8,000 residential units built and lived in by 2031.
Read more »