New emergency rule for Japanese beetle expands WA quarantine

After further review of 2023's trapping season data, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) filed an emergency rule to expand quarantine areas in Washington.

Filed on March 7, the emergency rule expands the quarantine in Grandview and Sunnyside. The map, below, shows the new areas highlighted, which includes areas in which the Japanese beetle has been recently trapped.

Emergency rules have gone into effect immediately and last for 120 days, though there will be a process to make them permanent. The rules include a few changes:

• Soil samples will be regulated articles and cannot be moved out of the quarantined area.
• Businesses located in the area selling regulated articles under WAC 16-470-710(4) or (7) must post signage developed by WSDA clearly stating that regulated articles purchased cannot be transported outside of the quarantined area.
• Clarification:  “cut flowers for decorative purposes” includes those flowers that are exposed to open-air environments during their harvest, transportation, or trade.
• New condition for transporting cut flowers outside the quarantined area.

Identifying Japanese beetle

Adult Japanese beetles are metallic green and brown and have little tufts of white hair on their sides. They emerge – usually from lawns or in other soil – in the spring and feed throughout the summer. From fall to spring the grubs (larvae) overwinter in the soil and slowly develop into mature adults ready to emerge again in the spring.

WSDA is asking the community to trap, report, and kill beetles found on their properties, as well as adhering to the quarantine. A drop-off site is being made available for yard debris and plant material from May to October:

• Japanese Beetle Response Yard Debris Drop-Off at 875 Bridgeview Rd., Grandview, WA 98930

There is no charge for disposal. More information is available on the WSDA website.