News Releases

GRANDVIEW – Yakima and Benton county residents might have the pest Japanese beetle in their yards right now. If they do, they can get their properties treated free of charge this spring.  

Following up on the in-person open house held earlier this month, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is hosting a virtual open house on Tuesday, March 21 at noon to share information about its plans to eradicate the invasive Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica).

WSDA is treating properties for free to get rid of this pest. But, state officials need property owners’ consent to treat every property in the infested zone.

Participants can register to attend the virtual open house. WSDA will post a recording on the agency’s YouTube channel for those who are not able to make the live virtual event.

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. Property owners should have received a letter last month; a second letter is on its way for those who have not returned their consent form yet.

Treatment

WSDA hopes to treat all properties within the treatment zone, dependent on property owner consent and allocated funding. Representatives at the open house will provide more details on the proposed treatment plan at the virtual open house.

Acelepryn, the product named in the proposed treatment plan, is a low-risk insecticide that is not hazardous to humans or domestic animals. Applicators spray the product to plant foliage or directly to lawns. The product can also be in a granular form, applied by seed spreader.

“Other Japanese beetle eradication projects across the northwest have shown that a single application to the soil with the pesticide Acelepryn in late April or early May would be the best option,” Camilo Acosta, WSDA eradication project coordinator, said. “There may be highly infested areas that will need a second application sprayed directly on the foliage of the plants.”

Agencies in Oregon, Idaho, California, and Utah have used this product for Japanese beetle eradication projects since 2009 and, in some cases, successfully and safely eradicated the pest.

Quarantine

WSDA officials are working on a permanent rule to replace the current emergency rule that recently expanded the quarantine adopted last year, prohibiting certain items from leaving the infested area. The items prohibited include those at most risk of transporting Japanese beetle.

Trapping season

WSDA will again set traps in Grandview and surrounding areas to detect for 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.

More information

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