One of the ways the Washington State Department of Agriculture is working to get rid of Japanese beetle in Washington is by a quarantine of yard debris items.

Last year the agency enacted a quarantine, limiting or prohibiting the movement of certain items that could transport Japanese beetle outside of the current infestation area, causing the invasive pest to spread to other areas within the state.

As residents and businesses in the quarantine zone begin to spring clean their properties, it's important that yard debris not move outside the area. Per state regulations, transporting yard waste outside the quarantine zone is restricted.

To support residents and businesses in the quarantine zone, WSDA set up a yard debris collection site. The site, located at 875 Bridgeview Rd., in Grandview, is within the quarantine zone to ensure that no additional spread of the pest would happen when performing yard work this spring and summer.

Waste restrictions

Items restricted from moving outside of the quarantine zone include:

The quarantine is just one part of the three-pronged approach WSDA is taking to eradicate the pest. Other efforts include treatment, which begins next week (April 10), and trapping, which begins next month.

Treatment

To begin treatment, state officials need property owners’ consent to treat private property in the infested zone. An effective eradication project will require 100 percent participation.

Treatment is dependent on property owner consent and allocated funding. Acelepryn, the product named in the proposed treatment plan, is a low-risk insecticide that is not hazardous to humans or domestic animals.

“It’s vital that our communities work together, everyone involved, to get rid of this pest. We need to link arms, refuse to move our yard debris, and get our properties treated as soon as possible,” eradication coordinator Camilo Acosta said.

Trapping season

WSDA will set traps in Grandview and surrounding areas to detect and catch Japanese beetles. WSDA will increase its trapping efforts, hanging 3,100 traps in the area and inviting community members to hang traps and report their findings.

WSDA detected more than 23,000 beetles in the area in 2022. Eradication plans include using an insecticide to treat properties in and around the infested area, including private property.

WSDA mailed letters to residents with consent forms and unique PINs for each resident to confirm their residence and consent in January and in March. Teams continue to go door-to-door informing residents they are in the infestation area, and offering free treatment and assistance filling out the consent forms.

Visit agr.wa.gov/beetles for updates and more information on this invasive pest.

Source: Washington State Department of Agriculture