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OREM, Utah (AP) -- Japanese beetles aren't getting a warm welcome in Utah.
The state's Department of Agriculture and Food says efforts to reduce the beetle have worked, knocking out about 95 percent of the population throughout Orem.
State officials say the beetles can have a disastrous effect on lawns, gardens and shrubs.
UDAF spokesman Larry Lewis says an intensive spraying program vastly reduced the population but more likely remain. The program is expected to continue next year.
If the beetles weren't attacked, Lewis says the beetles could've spread across the state leading to millions of dollars in damage.
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Information from: Deseret News
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
