OLYMPIA, Wash – The Washington State Department of Agriculture is asking residents in the Tri-Cities to report Japanese beetle sightings after already catching 38 beetles this summer. That is seven times more beetles than last summer when the WSDA caught five in Pasco. They are an invasive species and pose a threat to local agricultural communities.
“We’re catching more beetles this year and they are being found throughout Pasco, not in a limited area,” WSDA Japanese Beetle Eradication Coordinator, Camilo Acosta said. “We want to protect gardens, parks and farms in the area by eradicating Japanese beetles from the Tri-Cities. We need the community’s help to succeed.”
According to WSDA, the beetles can ruin gardens, kill lawns and are a general nuisance to the outdoors. The beetle also makes it harder to process and move crops out of the area because of quarantines and increased management costs for farmers.
Japanese beetles are metallic green and copper. They like to lay eggs in lawns and eat roses, but eat up to 300 other kinds of plants.The WSDA Pest Program has set hundreds of traps throughout the Tri-Cities to help detect the beetles. These traps will be up at least through September, which is during the adult beetle flight season.
Tri-Cities area residents who believe they have seen Japanese beetles can email a picture and the location to pest@agr.wa.gov or submit the sighting to the Washington State Department of Agriculture beetle reporting site.
In addition to reporting Japanese beetles, residents can prevent spreading this highly invasive pest.
Don’t move yard waste. Compost yard waste at home.If you find Japanese beetles on your property, consider one of the treatment options recommended by Washington State University Extension.Collect Japanese beetles on garden plants and put them in soapy water to kill them.
Spread the word. Make sure your neighbors know about and are also on the lookout for and know what to do if they spot Japanese beetles
