Alan Titchmarsh has issued an urgent warning to gardeners about a pest so savage it could ‘wipe out crops’ completely.
Any green-fingered enthusiast will know to keep an eye out for slugs, but the TV gardener warned that there could be a far more invasive threat – the Colorado beetle.
Speaking at the Chelsea Flower Show this week, Titchmarsh warned that the tiny black and yellow-striped pest is one of the biggest threats to the UK’s food security and could pose a ‘savage’ threat to the British potato industry.
The expert warned that if the situation is left untreated, the troublesome insects could spread ‘like locusts’ and decimate the UK potato crop in as little as 10 years.
Colorado beetles were eradicated from British soil 50 years ago following a vigilante campaign in the 1970s but larvae from the insects was discovered in a potato field in Kent in 2023, marking the first known return of the species.
However, swift action by the Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA) and DEFRA meant the situation was managed and kept under control.
Titchmarsh said: ‘It devastates potato crops and we need all the crops we can get in this country.
‘It’s so savage it’ll wipe crops out. It’s like locusts – it’s that fast.’
He added that the key to avoiding disaster is to ‘stamp it out before it becomes reality’ – but reassured gardeners that all will be okay.
TV gardener Alan Titchmarsh has issued a plea to green-fingered brits to keep an eye out for Colorado beetles as he warned they could pose a ‘savage’ threat. Pictured this week, at the Chelsea Flower Show
‘Don’t panic about it, just be vigilant and then we can keep it out,’ Titchmarsh said.
The avid gardener also reflected on his experience of the 1970s outbreak and praised the green-fingered community of the time for coming together.
He said: ‘We just need to be vigilant. We managed to stamp it out about 50 years ago.
‘I remember when I was a boy there were posters in police stations and post offices saying “look out for this beetle” but I never saw one because we were quite vigilant.’
The Love Your Garden host went on to highlight the importance of the UK working towards growing more of its own food.
He said: ‘It’s really, really important for our exports and for feeding ourselves.
‘We need to grow more food not less and with outbreaks like this, our potato exports are in grave danger.’
Anyone who spots the insect is urged to catch it in a container and contact APHA with a photo and location details of where it was found.
The garden pest (pictured, stock image) is around 6mm to 11mm in size and is yellow or cream with around ten black stripes on it’s body
Titchmarsh’s warning comes as the Animal & Plant Health Agency has asked anyone who comes across the beetle to try to catch it and contact them with information regarding when and where it was found
The beetle, which is around 6mm to 11mm in size, does not pose a threat to human health but has been known to be imported into the UK on food items, such as leafy vegetables, salad leaves, fresh herbs, grain, and frozen vegetables.
Therefore, experts are urging people to check these items as well as any vegetables picked from their gardens and allotments before consuming them.
Officials are hopeful that the outbreak – the first case of a breeding population since the 1970s – can be declared eradicated by the end of this year, but warned the public need to remain vigilant to the threat.
Professor Nicola Spence, the Environment Department’s chief plant health officer, said: ‘Colorado beetle poses a significant threat to plants and the wider potato industry.
‘The public have an important role to play in helping us take swift and effective action to protect UK biosecurity.
‘The public are urged to be vigilant and report suspected sightings to the Animal and Plant Health Agency with a photo and location details.’
Dr Jenny Stewart, APHA interim chief executive, also encouraged all green-fingered brits to be on the look out for the Colorado beetle.
She said: ‘Public vigilance was key to eradicating the beetle in the 1970s, and we really need home gardeners, allotmenteers and farmers to step up again, and identify and report suspected sightings to protect potato crops.
‘Our surveillance capabilities protect UK borders from a wide range of plant pests and diseases, including the Colorado beetle, but we cannot do this without the help of the public.’
APHA currently holds an exhibit at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show with the hopes of raising awareness about the impact the pest can have on UK food security and the potato industry, after outbreaks in the 1930s, 1950s and the 1970s.