Missouri Warning a Destructive Invasive Beetle Confirmed in State

There's a brand new alert in Missouri for a very destructive beetle that is bad news for virtually all plants and crops. Officials have confirmed its presence in at least one Missouri county now.

I saw this new alert just shared today by the University of Missouri Integrated Pest Management. It's a bulletin about a nasty invasive beetle that is now confirmed in Christian County, Missouri.

The Missouri Department of Conservation has a lot to say about the invasive Japanese Beetle which is confirmed in Christian County. They say you'll find these nasty bugs on "roses and many other garden flowers, fruit trees, crape myrtles, sassafras, lindens, maples, grapes, beans (including soybeans), and corn". As a matter of fact, the Japanese Beetle is known to greatly reduce corn yields on crops it feasts on.

The state of Missouri says these Japanese Beetles can be controlled with various methods, but there's no way to be completely rid of them. No doubt there are efforts right now in Billings, Missouri to combat the spread as this is the town mentioned in the University of Missouri pest alert.

As this is a developing story, it will be updated once new information is released.