Swiss cantons ban lawn watering as Japanese beetles sighted

Following the first Japanese beetle findings this year, the Swiss cantons of Basel-City and Basel-Land are stepping up their measures. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox A ban on watering lawns and green areas and a ban on transporting green waste and soil will apply in the infested areas have been imposed until the end of September. + How Switzerland is battling invasive species A corresponding general decree comes into force in both cantons, as detailed in a joint communiqué issued on Thursday. In the last three days, Japanese beetles have appeared in the Brüglinger Ebene in Münchenstein, as they did last year. Other sites where beetles have been found include the Rosenfeldpark in Basel and the Wenkenpark in Riehen. The current ban on watering lawns in the defined infestation area is intended to make the green areas as unattractive as possible for the beetles to lay their eggs. However, it is still permitted to water flowers and vegetables in the garden.