Japanese beetle

After a successful summer treatment plan, Mesa County and the city of Grand Junction are celebrating an 85% reduction in Japanese beetle populations. Found in the city of Grand Junction in the summer of 2022, Mesa County declared the beetle a public nuisance species in March 2023. Joined by the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA), CSU Extension, and the City of Grand Junction, Mesa County has worked to eradicate the species, which is a threat to both crops and ornamental plants on the Western Slope. 

The Colorado Department of Agriculture is sending $110,000 to Mesa County to evict an unwanted visitor: the Japanese beetle.

This invasive pest, which was discovered within the city limits of Grand Junction in the summer of 2022, can cause great damage to both ornamental horticulture and agricultural operations on the Western slope. Japanese beetles feed on more than 300 species of plants, many of which are essential to western Colorado’s agricultural economy, including peaches, grapes, sweet corn, and many other ornamental plants in urban spaces, including turf grass.

After a detection of the invasive Japanese Beetle in Grand Junction this summer, the Colorado Department of Agriculture has been working in partnership with local stakeholders to eradicate the pest and prevent its spread into additional areas of Colorado.