Invasive Japanese beetles found outside downtown core in Kamloops, B.C.

A Kamloops, B.C., resident has reported invasive Japanese beetles outside the city's downtown core — an area which is considered a containment zone for the foliage-eating species.

Also known as Popillia japonica, the invasive pest feeds on the roots of grass and the foliage of more than 300 plant species.

The CFIA recognizes the insect's spread as a threat to commercial crops and native plants, and the Invasive Species Council of B.C. says it "poses a severe threat to ecosystems and industries."

Late last year, the beetles were detected in the B.C. Interior city of Kamloops, the first time the pests were detected in B.C. outside the Lower Mainland.

It prompted the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to set up a containment zone around the city's downtown core to prevent the spread of the beetles and start a survey to assess it.

Anyone transporting whole plants, soil and certain plant matter outside the zone has to get a movement certificate signed off by the CFIA — but a Kamloops resident living outside the city's regulated area recently discovered a swarm of the pests in her garden.

"Every time I come out, every few hours, I check the plants because I certainly don't want these spreading. And I find more," Laine Martin, who lives on the city's west side near the fire hall, told CBC News on Monday.

Martin had just returned from a vacation when she discovered almost 50 beetles on her rose and raspberry bushes.

"I think that Kamloops has a problem, and I think we have to be proactive and try to combat this spread," she said.

"If that means additional spraying to other areas that were outside the quarantine zone, let's get on top of this."

Jason Crandall, the CFIA's planning chief for the Japanese beetle eradication response in B.C., said it was only the first year of their Japanese beetle survey in Kamloops.

He urged residents to report any Japanese beetles if they find them, and trap and freeze them so inspectors can more accurately map their spread.

"It's the first year of the proper survey. So you know, if you're out in your backyard and you're looking at your roses ... and you find beetles, don't panic," he said.

"It's important to act. But you shouldn't let that spin into fear."

Crandall said the CFIA's response to the invasive Japanese beetle involves spraying plants with pesticide, which he says is incredibly effective at killing the pests, as well as regulating the movement of plant matter to prevent the beetles' spread.

"Instead of just guessing or having a broad area of treatment, it's better with pesticides to have a more targeted area," he said. "And the more data we collect, the more targeted we could be."

Danielle Sparks, the City of Kamloops's environmental services supervisor, dubbed the Japanese beetles a "hitchhiker species" that don't fly very far.

"They do rely on humans for spreading to different areas. So trying to prevent hitchhikers is key," she said.

"If you can, try to keep your plant waste on site, on your property [via] composting."