Columbia Basin Herald

OLYMPIA – Officials with the Washington state Department of Agriculture are seeking the expansion of the state’s internal Japanese beetle quarantine area after a number of beetles were found outside the quarantine area, which was established earlier this year.

According to a WSDA press release, while most beetles have been found in or just outside the Grandview quarantine area in Yakima County, a number of beetles have also been reported in Wapato and one was confirmed found as far east as Richland.

The current quarantine area centers on Grandview in Yakima County, extending slightly into Benton County. The proposed expansion would cover more area around Grandview in both counties but no areas beyond, according to a map provided by the WSDA.

“Immediate action is needed to expand the internal Japanese beetle quarantine to more accurately reflect the area of infestations in order to prevent the beetles from spreading into noninfested areas,” said Camilo Acosta, coordinator of WSDA’s beetle eradication program, in the news release.

Residents in the affected area are asked to limit the spread of the invasive beetles by not transporting yard debris or plant material outside the quarantine area. WSDA officials report finding 23,000 Japanese beetles in the area in 2022 alone, the press release said. Adult beetles can eat the leaves and flowers of over 300 plants, while the larvae burrow into the soil and eat roots.