STORY
Britain’s potato industry has been put on notice after fresh sightings of the Colorado beetle – a voracious pest capable of devastating potato, tomato and pepper crops – prompted the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to urge immediate vigilance among home gardeners, allotmenteers and commercial growers.
The warning follows laboratory confirmation of Colorado beetle larvae in a Kent potato field in 2023. Left unchecked, both adult beetles and their larvae can strip foliage completely, threatening yields and inflicting significant economic damage. Previous outbreaks in the 1930s, 1950s and 1970s were eradicated through coordinated inspection and public reporting, APHA notes.
Professor Nicola Spence, Defra’s Chief Plant Health Officer, stressed the public’s critical role:
“The Colorado beetle poses a significant threat to plants and the wider potato industry. We need everyone—gardeners, allotmenteers and farmers—to report suspected sightings with a photograph and location details so we can act swiftly to protect UK biosecurity.”
APHA Interim Chief Executive Dr Jenny Stewart added that the agency’s surveillance network “protects UK borders from a wide range of pests” but success hinges on public assistance. Gardeners handling imported leafy vegetables, salad leaves, fresh herbs or frozen produce should inspect for hitchhiking beetles and report any finds immediately.