New knotweed controls announced

Wildlife Minister Huw Irranca-Davies has given the go-ahead for the release of an insect, called a psyllid, to stop the spread of the non-native invasive plant Japanese Knotweed, a devastating plant which costs the UK economy over £150 million a year to control and clear.

Japanese Knotweed is listed by the World Conservation Union as one of the world's 100 worst invasive species. It grows vigorously at a rate of up to a metre a month, including through tarmac, concrete and drains, causing damage to roads and buildings and costing millions of pounds to remove each year. This deadly plant also damages our natural environment by stopping other plants from growing, and destroying habitats for native species.

Using an insect - which is a predator of the plant in Japan - to act as a natural form of pest control, will be the first time that a solution like this has been used to help control the spread of a non-native invasive plant in Europe and, if successful, could reduce the costs to the building and engineering industries of clearing this invasive plant.

Irranca-Davies said: “Japanese Knotweed causes over £150 million worth of damage and disruption throughout the UK every year. This project is not only ground-breaking, it offers real hope that we can redress the balance. These tiny insects, which naturally prey on Japanese Knotweed, will help free local authorities and industry from the huge cost of treating and killing this devastating plant.”