One of the more common things states and countries have resorted to when trying to remove something like a weed or pest in a non-pesticide way, is through the use of using a natural predator. This was the case for Portland, who have been using Galerucella Leaf Beetles for a few years now to cull a weed that causes trouble for other things to grow within their natural refuge.
Normally the beetles do their own thing and stay within the refuge, but this year the beetles decided to entirely migrate without even touching any of the weeds they normally eat. Instead they migrated into Portland neighborhoods and started eating up all of the rose bushes they could find. Not only was this behavior unheard of before, but it was surprising that these beetles would change their diet completely and actually seem to really like rose bushes.
The worst part isn’t even the beetles chewing up rose beds near homes, it’s actually that they are swarming in such large numbers that they are everywhere in the neighborhood. The moment you walk outside you will find them crawling all over you, and even bikers have run into an issue of them getting into your ears and nose.
It was discovered this was happening because of the changes in weather and water patterns, which resulted in the beetles liking a different area of the city entirely. Luckily these insects die off within a few days and aren’t expected to breed which will cull the problem without having to introduce yet another vermin or to remove them through pest control means.
