OLYMPIA, WA – The Washington State Department of Agriculture filed an emergency rule to expand the boundaries on the internal quarantine of Japanese beetles. Eradication project leaders confirmed the beetles have spread beyond the initial quarantine area adopted earlier this year. The internal quarantine is part of a three-pronged effort to eradicate the invasive pest in Washington state.
Emergency rules are in effect immediately and last for 120 days. Officials also began the process of making the emergency rule become a permanent rule.
From Washington State Department of Agriculture:
Throughout 2021 and 2022, WSDA took extensive measures to reduce the spread of the beetle, with an ultimate goal of eradicating it. Measures taken included treating residential and public properties with pesticide, trapping, and establishing an internal quarantine. Despite these efforts, by the end of the 2022 trapping season, numerous Japanese beetles were caught outside of the established internal quarantine area.
“Due to this, immediate action is needed to expand the internal Japanese beetle quarantine to more accurately reflect the area of infestation in order to prevent the beetles from spreading into non-infested areas,” Camilo Acosta, project coordinator said.
The map pictured shows the previous adopted quarantine zone and the new boundaries established in the emergency rule filed.
Identifying Japanese beetle
Adult Japanese beetle are metallic green and brown and have little tufts of white hair on their sides. They emerge – usually from lawns or in other soil – in the spring and feed throughout the summer. From fall to spring the grubs (larvae) overwinter in the soil and slowly develop into mature adults ready to emerge again in the spring.
How can I help?
Community members can help by trapping, reporting, and killing the beetles on their properties. Residents must also follow the quarantine to prevent spreading the beetles by not moving items known to transport beetles outside of the quarantine area.
To limit the need to move yard debris and other plant material outside the quarantine area, WSDA has established a drop-off site available during the adult flight season, May to October. Businesses and residents can take all accepted items to the Japanese Beetle Response Yard Debris Drop-Off at 875 Bridgeview Rd., Grandview, WA 98930. There is no charge for disposal.
Those moving out of the quarantine area will not be able to take any of the regulated items with them.
History
In 2020, WSDA first discovered just three Japanese beetles in the Grandview area. Last year the department trapped more than 24,000 beetles. So far this year, teams have caught 23,000 beetles. Japanese beetles are highly invasive pests of more than 300 plants, including roses, grapes, and hops. The adult beetles damage plants by skeletonizing the foliage. Adults also feed on buds, flowers, and fruit on the plants and are frequently intercepted with air cargo from the Eastern U.S.
