Tri-Cities residents asked to report Japanese beetle sightings
By Dan Thesman on Friday, July 19th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Agriculture is asking people in the Tri-Cities area to report suspected Japanese beetle sightings.
Only five of the metallic green and cooper insects were found last year, but 38 of them have already been caught in the area by WSDA this summer. The Oregon Department of Agriculture is not reporting any Japanese beetle sightings so far this year.
Japanese beetles eat grapes, hops, sweet corn, raspberries, and 300 other plants. They primarily lay eggs in lawns. The developing larvae eats the roots and can kill lawns.
If you suspect you have seen Japanese beetles, take a photograph and report the sighting at https://agr.wa.gov/beetles or email the photograph along with the location of the sighting to pest@agr.wa.gov.
In addition to reporting Japanese beetles, you can visit to learn how to prevent the spread of Japanese Beetles by clicking here.
Photo of Japanese beetle via Washington State Department of Agriculture
