City Continues to Monitor Japanese Beetles

A highly destructive invasive insect appeared in Sheridan several years ago and officials with the City of Sheridan continue to monitor the situation. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter has the details.

On August 17, 2020, a City employee captured a Japanese beetle in Kendrick Park. It was the first year the non-native insect was officially identified in Wyoming. City Arborist Clark Van Hoosier says the population of the beetle continues to steadily grow in Sheridan.

The adult Japanese beetle feeds on and damages the foliage, flowers and fruits of over 300 ornamental and agricultural crop plants and trees. According to the USDA, the larval stage of the insect, known as white grubs, feed on the roots of grasses and can be highly destructive to lawns, golf courses and pastures.