What would a Japanese beetle spread cost us? - That is one of the questions which our team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) is trying to answer. The question is simple; however, the answer is complex, depending on several unknown factors such as the potential damage the beetle can cause to different crops.
For this reason, we have searched the literature and gathered material from various sources, especially on the beetles spread rate and potential yield losses for farmers, and are using the information now to establish different cost scenarios. This allows us to get a clearer picture about the possible negative impacts of the pest for the European Union and its member states in the case of an uncontrolled spread of the Japanese beetle.