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Okanogan County Quarantine

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Apple Maggot Quarantine in Okanogan County

Effective November 9, 2018, part of Okanogan County was added to the areas quarantined for apple maggot in the state.

For more information, e-mail us or call (509) 249-6966

Do you live in the apple maggot quarantine area?

Visit our searchable map to see if you live in the new apple maggot quarantine area. You can enter your address or simply click on a location in the map to see if it is in the quarantine area.

Waste separation now required in quarantine area


The following items must be separated from your waste, as WasteWise will no longer accept these items:

  • Woody debris - branches, roots, logs
  • Yard waste - vegetation and potted plants
  • Fresh fruits and non-commercial raw vegetables

The Twisp transfer station WILL accept these items, but they must be separated from other waste.

Visit the Okanogan County website for more information.
 

Visit Okanogan County Website



Do not move homegrown fruit or green waste into the pest-free area


If you live within the quarantine area, you'll want to monitor and protect your trees from apple maggot. State law prohibits you from transporting homegrown fruit - especially apples, crabapples, cherries, pears, plums, hawthorn, and quince - or green waste (woody debris, yard waste, etc.) out of a quarantined area into a pest-free area.

For example, you can no longer take homegrown apples from Twisp to Omak.

Give fruit a pass - home processing

There is one way that homegrown fruit can leave a quarantined area: if you process it first. For example, you can preserve apple pie filling, dry apples, or make apple sauce, jams, jellies, and even homemade wine or beer.

Bottom line: You can transport processed fruit out of the quarantined area; you cannot take raw fruit or green waste from the quarantined area.

Composting homegrown fruit and green waste

Composting at home can be a great alternative way to dispose of yard debris, fruit, and woody debris. Not only is it easy to compost in your backyard, but it is a great way to improve the soil in your garden.

Washington State University has excellent resources on backyard composting. You can also contact the Okanogan County Master Gardeners to learn more about composting at home.

Managing apple maggot in the backyard orchard


In Washington property owners are required to manage pests on their property to prevent their spread. This includes managing apple maggot if you have it. Washington State University extension has several good resources for managing apple maggot using Integrated Pest Management.
 

 

Managing apple maggot in the home orchard may prove too costly or time consuming for some. In this case, do not simply abandon your trees, which will allow apple maggot and other pests to multiply rapidly. Unmanaged fruit trees should be removed. Luckily, you can still get some of the highest quality, pest-free fruit from Washington's commercial fruit growers.

FAQ's

No, some items that are not allowed in the garbage are different from items that can no longer be transported out of the quarantined area. See the chart below which shows the differences and similarities.

  Items that cannot be transported out of the quarantine area Items that must be separated from your trash
Homegrown or foraged fruit - apples, crabapples, cherries, pears, plum, hawthorn, and quince X X
Yard waste - vegetation and potted plants X X
Woody debris - branches, roots, logs X X
Commercial fruit   X
Homegrown vegetables   X
No fruit - whether store bought or homegrown - or is permitted in your garbage. Vegetables purchased from a store can go in your garbage, however vegetables from your backyard cannot.
Yes, fruit purchased from a store can be transported outside of the quarantined area. However, fruit grown in your backyard or foraged cannot.
No, green waste cannot be transported or disposed of outside of the quarantined area. If you live inside the quarantine area, you can compost your green waste at home or transport it to the Twisp Transfer Station in a separate container from your garbage.
The apple maggot is a species of fruit fly that lays its eggs in certain fruits. It is native to the Northeastern United States and was likely introduced to Washington by moving infested apple fruit.
It's estimated that over eighty percent of untreated apple trees in western Washington are infested with apple maggot. To prevent the spread of this pest and to protect Washington's apple industry, WSDA establishes quarantines in areas where the apple maggot is established. Apples are Washington State's top commodity, grossing over $2 billion annually and representing 23% of our total agricultural value. The impacts of the apple maggot could have far-reaching effects on the tree fruit industry, including increased costs, reduced crop yield, and greater restrictions on trade. Impacts are not limited only to the industry; many rural communities depend on a health apple industry to thrive.
Click here to find out if you live in a quarantined area.

Resources

  • Visit our searchable map to see if you live in the apple maggot quarantine
  • Download a trash can sign to remember what cannot go in your trash can.​