WSDA: This Is Your Last Chance For Japanese Beetle Treatment

The Washington Department of Agriculture is urging property owners to sign up now for a free Japanese beetle treatment, warning it's one of the best ways to protect the state’s farms.

Japanese beetles feed on hundreds of plants, including fruit trees, grapes, hops and other valuable crops. WSDA officials stressed every untreated yard gives the invasive pest another place to reproduce, increasing the threat to nearby farmland. The state is monitoring nearly 15,000 beetle traps across Washington and has already confirmed the first adult beetles of the season.

WSDA Wants To Treat Your Property

WSDA added time is running out for those living in King, Yakima, Benton, and Franklin counties interested in free treatment this year. The Department of Ag said there are multiple ways properties can sign up for a free treatment:

entering the properties parcel number to give consent online
downloading a Form and emailing the completed form to pest@agr.wa.gov
filling out and return a form at a Japanese beetle kiosk,
calling 1-800-443-6684 to request a consent form

All Washingtonians, farmers and non-farmers, are also being asked to check vehicles for hitchhiking beetles when traveling through infested areas and report any sightings.

Be on the lookout for adults

The first beetles of the season were caught on June 4, followed by a confirmed sighting on June 5. WSDA said adults love to feed on plant leaves, buds, flowers, and fruits, then mate and drop eggs in the soil below. Adults beetles:

are about 1/3 inch long
have a metallic green head and thorax
have copper wing covers
have small patches of white hair on the body — five on the side and two on the tip.

Learn how to identify Japanese beetle adults and view some common imposters by checking out the WSDA's Beetle 101 Page.