YAKIMA — Officials have approved a quarantine around Grandview in Central Washington to combat the spread of the invasive Japanese beetle.
The quarantine begins Sept. 15 and restricts the movement of potted plants, leaves, grass clippings and other yard waste outside of the Grandview area, Washington State Department of Agriculture officials said Monday.
The announcement comes as more than 18,000 adult insects have been trapped and counted within Yakima and Benton counties. The pest has spread beyond its original area in and around Grandview, WSDA spokesperson Amber Betts said.
The vast majority of this year’s count is from the soon-to-be quarantined area, but at least 82 adult insects have been counted in Wapato, roughly 30 miles away. Betts said adult beetles also have been found in Parker, Granger, Sunnyside, Mabton, Outlook and Richland. Only one bug was found in Richland, and none have been reported in the Tri-Cities since.
At public meetings earlier this month, WSDA officials stressed the importance of containing and, hopefully, eradicating the problem.
“If the Japanese beetle becomes permanently established in Washington state, it could pose a significant economic threat to the state’s agricultural industries,” said Greg Haubrich, pest program manager for WSDA.
First found in New Jersey in 1916, Japanese beetles will eat more than 300 types of plants, including roses, grapes and hops. The adult beetles damage plants by skeletonizing the leaves. Adults also feed on buds, flowers and fruit on the plants.
Quarantine items listed
The quarantine was first proposed last year after 900 traps caught more than 24,000 Japanese beetles in and around Grandview in 2021. It would regulate certain items and impose restrictions on their movement out of the quarantine area.
WSDA reached out to the public and businesses potentially impacted by the proposed quarantine, culminating in a public hearing held Aug. 2. The rule will become effective 31 days after filing, on Sept. 15.
The rule covers a 49-square mile area in and around Grandview.
The rule restricts movement of several items, including:
- Topsoil containing vegetative material
- Noncommercial humus and compost
- Noncommercial growing media
- Yard debris including grass clippings, leaves, branches, brush, weeds, flowers, roots, windfall fruit, and vegetable garden debris.
