- Several examples of the invasive Japanese beetle were found in the municipality of Münchenstein BL and in the Rankhof area of Basel.
- Both cantons are responding with immediate measures.
- Among other things, some of the training facilities used by FC Basel were closed and covered.
In the area of the Merian Gardens and sports fields in Münchenstein, not far from the border with Basel, a total of 38 Japanese beetles were found, almost all of them in baited traps, as Christoph Böbner, head of the Basel-based said. Ebenrain Agricultural Center, said at a media conference.
It is now intended to prevent a cover film over the lawn from spreading further, it was said. Because the Japanese beetle is spread over a large area, it is difficult to control.
Legend:
One of FC Basel’s training pitches is currently covered in foil.
SRF
The beetle not only threatens lawns and football fields, but also fruit crops, grape vines and corn. It can also damage roses and forest trees. Graphically, the voracious animal disturbs the roots. The adult beetle targets, among other things, the leaves. Plants die sooner or later.
Legend:
Such traps are used to attract and capture the beetles.
SRF/Simon Weber
In the worst case, ie a widespread spread of the Japanese beetle in Switzerland, the federal government estimates that the damage to agriculture will be hundreds of millions of francs.
Various measures were taken to combat the pest. First, affected grass fields were ground and covered with plastic film. This is intended to destroy the pupae of the beetle and prevent them from flying out.
In addition, lawn fields in the affected area are no longer allowed to be irrigated. This water ban applies until 30 September. Vegetable compost material should also not be removed from the source of infestation to prevent the beetle from spreading further.
Legend:
The grass field next to the FCB training ground is also covered.
SRF
The authorities expressed their confidence that these measures would succeed in eradicating the beetle. There is a good chance that because the population is still small, the infested area is still limited to a manageable area and the infestation was recognized early.
The municipality of Kloten already had negative experiences with the Japanese beetle. Here too, grass fields were covered in the spring of this year. Football cannot be played on six of the seven football pitches during the season.
“This is of course a big disaster for us,” Peter Wartmann, President of FC Kloten, said in the spring. Only one field with artificial turf is available for training. So FC Kloten has to shorten its training times. These restrictions cost the club a lot of money.
Transported to other parts of the canton in lawn tiles?
In Basel, the sports office wants to talk to those responsible at FC Basel next week about how to proceed. Because: The covered training areas will not be usable at this time.
The area directly next to the FCB training ground, which is used to grow replacement turf in the canton of Basel-Stadt, was also covered, as the head of the sports office, Steve Beutler, said. The canton must now reconstruct whether the beetle may have been transported to other areas when infected lawn tiles were laid.