Potato Beetles and Biological War in Europe

When threatened with total war governments will consider all possible means to defend themselves.  In the uneasy political world of the 1930s many countries set up biological warfare departments.  These were small and carried very low profiles.  The Germans employed less than 300 experts.  The British commitment was perhaps 50 staff.  The research work was neglected by the intelligence community and took place under conditions of tight security.  This climate fed anxieties.  The British fretted about foot and mouth disease, the Germans feared the Colorado potato beetle, but nobody knew much about their adversaries.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            The Colorado potato beetle is a virulent pest.  It has a tremendous ability to destroy potato crops.  By the time it becomes an adult the larva has consumed over 40 square centimetres of leaf cover.  It is a prolific breeder.  A single female can lay up to 800 eggs and can breed three times a year.