The Editor,
Re. "Coq. budgets big $$ for beetle damage" (The Tri-City News, March 25).
It appears Coquitlam city council has erroneously labelled the humble chafer beetle as a villainous pest.
I would like to point out that it is not the beetle tearing up lawns, it is predominantly crows.
Unlike crows, the beetle provides nutritious food for other animals and birds, it doesn't drive other animals and birds away, it doesn't raid birds' nests and their young, it doesn't scatter garbage, it doesn't leave large droppings all over the place, nor does it wake residents from needed sleep at the crack of dawn for a large part of the year.
Frankly, I would rather live with the beetles and wish council would instead use my tax money to control the population of the real pest here: crows.
Anna Caltagirone, Coquitlam
WAIT, WATER?
The Editor,
I don't know if it was a misprint or I live in an alternate universe. In the referenced news story, a Coquitlam staff report says residents who have "healthy" lawns that are "well-watered and properly maintained" are less prone to chafer beetle damage.
Have these people been out in the city to see the real situation? All through our Como Lake area, it is the highly manicured lawns that are damaged the most. It is also the ones that have been watered the most. Those uni-cultured grass lawns that are still in good shape are probably that way because they are being treated using chemicals. Where homeowners get the chemicals, don't ask me.
We know these perfect lawns are not the healthy way for the environment. Now, thousands and thousands of people are being encouraged to water their lawns more? Where's the conservation in this?
When It comes to sustainability issues, Coquitlam is deserving of a failing grade.
More trees and landscaping, and less pure grass are the answer.
Steve Mancinelli, Coquitlam
