The City of Medicine Hat is turning to a natural solution to tackle invasive plants. About 2,000 copper leafy spurge flea beetles were recently released into Police Point Park, according to the city. The beetles’ primary food source is leafy spurge, which has infested the park. “Getting rid of invasive species helps our native plant and animal species flourish,” the city said on its Facebook page. “Leafy spurge has been increasing its presence and density in Police Point Park, and these beetles are a great proven method of biological control for it.” The beetles will almost exclusively eat the leafy spurge until it’s gone. They are a more environmentally friendly option compared to spraying the park. “Densities of leafy spurge were increasing quite rapidly, and so we don’t want to just focus on spraying, although it’s very useful,” said Jeff Quinlan, City of Medicine Hat parks and recreation technician. “We also want to make sure we’re following good IPM (integrated pest management) principles, sort or controlling these invasive pests from a bunch of different angles.” It will take a couple of years before residents see any noticeable effect.
