|
To all first-time site visitors: welcome! And thank you for reading more about this important project to protect Oregon’s agricultural economy and natural resources.
Here is a quick update on decisions made in the last few months In the summer of 2018, Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA)’s traps caught over 17,000 Japanese beetles. Treatments in 2017 reduced the 2018 Japanese beetle populations by approximately 34%. In response, this past winter the Japanese beetle project team has been busy analyzing the detections and meeting with partners to create a strategy for 2019. The beetle battle is in high gear! Based on the information collected, the project is moving in the right direction with a lot of work ahead. A third year of treatment is proposed for 2019 with an expanded boundary to treat new areas where beetles have been found. The treatment will happen in March, April, and May using the same larvicide, Acelepryn G. Acelepryn G will be broadcast in the form of small granules over irrigated turf grass and ornamental beds of all properties in the designated treatment area in Washington County. In areas where the largest concentration of beetles were found last year, ODA may need to do a smaller targeted application of Acelepryn later in the summer to increase effectiveness of the treatment. Note: if you are in the area identified as needing an additional treatment, you will receive official notice by mail. How to help This is the state’s largest Japanese beetle eradication effort. There are multiple ways that you can help. Required
If you have questions or concerns, please look over our extensive Frequently Asked Questions about the project. Still have questions? Contact the ODA team. [Category tags: Consent, Community Engagement, Larvicide - Acelepryn, Residents, Updates, Treatment, Washington County] Community Open House A drop-in style, open house was held at Sunset High School on Tuesday, February 19th. Attendees who came were able to ask questions of the expert team leading and supporting the project. Info Session: Japanese beetle in Washington County An online information session was held on Wednesday, February 13th. The Oregon Department of Agriculture welcomes your questions and comments. Find out how to contact the project team by visiting our Contact Page.
*Edited February 22, 2019 to include up-to-date opportunities to learn more. [Category Tags: Beetles in Oregon, Community Engagement, Japanese Beetle Basics, Japanese Beetle Threats, Larvicide - Acelepryn, Quarantine, Treatment, Yard Debris] Invasive Japanese beetles have been wreaking havoc on farms and in gardens across the East Coast and Midwestern United States for decades. Beetle larvae and adult beetles eat the roots, leaves, and flowers of many important agricultural and ornamental plants and trees. New research shows that this invasive species may also be a significant threat to the habitat and survival of one of America’s favorite insects: the monarch butterfly.  A monarch butterfly feeding on swamp milkweed, a common species of milkweed in the midwestern and northeastern United States. Monarch butterflies depend on the native plant milkweed for habitat and food throughout their migration routes, from Mexico to Canada. Japanese beetles have been found feeding on milkweed flowers, decreasing their fruit and seed sets, and disrupting the next generation of plants. Monarch butterfly populations have already decreased dramatically--around 90%-- in the past 20 years, primarily due to habitat loss, including milkweed decline.
In 2016, the Oregon Department of Agriculture detected Japanese beetles in and around Washington County. ODA recognizes Japanese beetles as a threat to Oregon’s economy and natural ecosystems, and is starting its third year of its eradication and prevention project. Read more about the study from the University of Kentucky. [TAGS: Invasive Species, Japanese Beetle threat] Loads of fall leaves DO NOT need to be taken to the Japanese beetle yard debris drop off site in Hillsboro. Loads of fallen leaves are not a risk to spread Japanese beetle and are not part of the quarantined material. Please see the list below for material that falls within the quarantine. The yard debris quarantine is intended to prevent the spread of Japanese beetle in Oregon and to ensure the success of the current eradication program. The quarantine went into effect in Summer of 2017 and is still active through 2018. The boundary of the quarantine was expanded because of increased Japanese beetle detections in the county in 2017.  If you live within the area, you can keep using your yard waste curbside bin as normal. If in doubt about what is included, please ask us. The Oregon Department of Agriculture is asking all residents, landscapers, and waste managers that work in the yard debris quarantine area to adhere to the information below in order to comply with the quarantine to prevent the spread of both Japanese beetle adults and larvae:
Quarantined yard debris and material:
Not necessary or acceptable materials:
Note:
[TAGS: Washington County, Gardeners, Quarantine, Residents, Yard debris, Landscapers, Northwest Landscaping Services, Updates, Beetles in Oregon] |
Categories
All
Archives
January 2019
|
RSS Feed
