A Pinellas County city is turning to insects to fight an invasive plant.

Alexis Wells is leading Clearwater’s effort to rid the city of the air potato plant -- an invasive vine that threatens to literally suffocate the landscape.

“It will actually choke out a tree,” said Clearwater Landscape Manager Alexis Wells. “It will actually suffocate. If you look up at the tree behind you, you can already see it's over growing, taking over the tree. If unchecked, the tree will die.

That's where this important beetle comes in. Since their release into the area back in April, Wells says the air potato bug has made serious headway.

“We can see the evidence by the holes in the plants and that lets us know that it's working,” Wells said.

The little bug is so popular that other cities are on a waiting list.

Apparently, the bugs can't reproduce fast enough for the University of Florida to distribute them to the cities that want them. Clearwater officials like what they see, because the beetle is already saving them a lot of money.

“If I were to put it in round numbers, we are probably saving around $50,000 in chemical usage just by these beetles alone,” said Wells.

Officials say research shows the beetles will not eat any other plants.