Colorado Beetle
This month our spraying and amenity members will be receiving a letter asking them to sign up to our Colorado Beetle Scheme. This is an arrangement whereby the NAAC and its members are contracted by DEFRA to supply spraying resources if there is an outbreak of Colorado Beetle.
This is a very important service, as the Colorado beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) is a notifiable quarantine pest under the Plant Health (Great Britain) Order 1993, as it can destroy entire potato crops.
No breeding colony has been found in the UK since 1977 and NAAC members continue to play a critical role in protecting the UK.
Members are asked to sign up to the scheme so that, if necessary, the NAAC can rapidly mobilise resources to contain an outbreak and potentially divert a crisis in the potato industry. This will assist us in reacting quickly and effectively to any emergency.