2023 Japanese Beetle Eradication UpdateThe Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) is a serious invasive insect pest threatening Oregon and the western United States. If the beetle were to become widely established in the state, residents and farmers would see severe damage to over 300 plant species, requiring increased use of pesticides in order to maintain our way of life. In 2016, the most extensive infestation in the state was discovered after the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) trapped 369 Japanese in Washington County. This triggered ODA to initiate a long-term eradication project aimed at safeguarding Oregon's agriculture and natural ecosystems with support from local communities and municipalities. In 2017 the ODA trapped almost 24,000 beetles in Washington County, further reinforcing the severity of the infestation. Since that time ODA has coordinated larvicide treatments that kill Japanese beetles in the soil during their larval life stage. An additional foliar treatment targeting adults are conducted in particularly high-risk areas. Since 2017 the number of beetles trapped and the size of the treatment area have been significantly reduced as a direct result of the eradication program. ODA treated 2,500 acres for Japanese beetle with the low-risk pesticide Acelepryn. Successful eradication of several small pockets of beetles allowed the treatment area to be 30% smaller compared to 2022. A large infestation of Japanese beetles has been developing on a small blueberry farm since beetles were first detected in 2020. ODA could not treat the blueberry farm in 2021 and 2022 but received permission from the landowner to treat in 2023. ODA treated the edible plants with a product called Altacor, which attacks Japanese beetles at both the larval and adult stages. Since the infestation was so severe at the farm, four treatments were conducted in 2023: one larval treatment and three supplementary foliar spray treatments. In 2023, ODA trapped 6,399 Japanese beetles, a significant increase from the number of beetles trapped in 2022. However, most trap catches (~85%) were isolated to the blueberry farm mentioned above. There were only 1,067 beetles trapped outside the blueberry farm, which was a 35% reduction from the number of beetles trapped outside the blueberry farm in 2022. So, while the total number of beetles trapped increased from 2022, trap catch numbers continue to shrink in areas ODA has been treating. ODA anticipates the total number of trap catches in 2024 to be much lower due to the multiple rounds of treatment at the blueberry farm. The treatment map for 2024 is 1,315 acres, a 47% decrease from last year. Areas currently infested and being treated in 2024 include Washington, Multnomah, and Clackamas counties, specifically NW, SW, NE Portland, Lake Oswego, and Beaverton. While ODA has made significant progress towards eradicating Japanese beetle in Oregon, several more years of treatments will be needed to meet that goal.  Treatment boundary for 2024 Japanese beetle eradication
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Here is our 2022 Japanese beetle (JB) season update. Property treatments were completed in late July, while traps were finished being collected in October. This season we had snow in May, an unseasonably long and rainy spring, and consecutive days of heat in July. Weather can impact our ability to carry out our Japanese beetle treatments, causing delays, and rescheduling. We thank you for your patience and cooperation through this last years complicated JB season. Of those who responded to our consent letters over 96% consented to treatment this year! For the 2022 season we successfully trapped 3254 Japanese beetles, which is over a 10% reduction in overall beetles caught in 2021. From the 2021 granular treatments and 2022 foliar treatments, there was a 12% reduction in number of beetles trapped in 2022 within the 2021 treatment boundary. 2022 marked the first year that we reduced the size of the treatment area. This was possible because of your continued support, the hard work of our seasonal crews, and the assistance from our cooperators, General Tree Service (GTS), Best Buy in Town, and the Hillsboro landfill. Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) will be sending out consent forms for the 2023 season starting in late January of 2023. A reminder that we ask for consent from each residence in the treatment area every year. ODA appreciates your willingness and support to help our program. Each season, we get closer to our goal of eradicating Japanese beetle and protecting Oregon from this harmful pest. Hello all,
With another successful year conducting our Japanese Beetle Eradication project, it’s our pleasure to share with you how our 2021 season went. To start, we would like to thank all of you who replied to our consent letters. Of those who responded, over 95% consented to treatment this year, and with your help we were able to treat over 12,000 properties! This year we trapped around 3,650 Japanese beetles in the greater Portland area. That is a 20% reduction of overall beetles caught from the previous year, and a significant reduction from the 24,454 beetles that we caught in 2017! Within the 2020 treatment boundary there was a 36% reduction in number of beetles trapped as a result from the 2020 granular treatments and 2021 foliar treatment. Every year, our success depends on your cooperation, and we are thrilled to have your assistance. In 2022, we will continue our treatments so that we can eradicate this pest. In order to be successful, we must persist with our efforts while we have their numbers in decline. We will soon update you on next year’s Japanese Beetle Eradication program and our upcoming treatment maps. We thank you all for your continued support with helping Oregon eradicate Japanese beetle, we couldn’t do it without you. Happy Holidays! 2021 marked the 5th year of treatment for the ongoing Japanese beetle eradication. This Spring, the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) expanded the treatment area in multiple locations, including NE Portland. ODA treated over 12,000 properties (in an area over 4,000 acres) with Acelepryn G again this season. The public is still overwhelmingly in favor of the project, but administrative warrants were served to those who did not respond after several attempts to gain consent. In June and July, ODA treated areas with high beetle density (within 200m of a trap that caught 40+ beetles) with a supplementary foliar treatment (Acelepryn) that targets adult beetles. ODA treated over 850 properties with the supplementary treatment.
Japanese beetle yard debris quarantine started back up on June 1st. Large landscaper or residential loads are being brought to Best Buy in Town landscape supply before being transported for deep burial at Hillsboro landfill. Small residential loads can go in curbside yard debris bins as usual, and are also being redirected to Hillsboro landfill. The site will close for the season on October 1, 2021. In 2020, we trapped 4,490 Japanese beetles in total; 4,218 in the main eradication area. The overall number of beetles trapped in 2020 was down 42% from the previous year. There was a 58% reduction in the number of beetles trapped within our 2019 treatment boundary as a result of the 2019 granular and 2020 foliar treatments. The area saw a 67% decrease within the boundaries of the supplementary foliar treatment. ODA plans to continue treatment in 2022, and will announce the new treatment boundary in Fall 2021. Hello all,
We just wanted to give everyone a quick update. For those who have received multiple mailings and door hangers despite submitting a response already we would like to apologize. The USPS had been holding our mail for an unknown amount of time and we have not had an opportunity to process those mailers. Now that USPS has delivered them to us, we will work as quickly as possible to get them entered into our database. For the future, we recommend filling in the online consent form ASAP to ensure we receive your consent. As always, thank you for your support in eradicating the Japanese beetle from Oregon! Hello neighbors, I wanted to give you all a brief update. Consent forms have been coming in and we are processing them as quickly as possible. We have already sent out our second round of mailers so we apologize if you receiving a second letter despite consenting. For those who have not yet consented- You may do so using our online consent form below, or by returning the consent form via the pre-paid envelope provided to you. Please respond as soon as possible. We thank you for your continued support. -Austin  Welcome to 2021 neighbors. This is Austin with the Oregon Department of Agriculture. I wanted to let everyone know we have finalized our Japanese beetle treatment boundary for 2021. If you are seeing this post, that means you are in it! Follow the link below to view the updated map and see what it means for you! Treatment is free and will follow the same process as last year with an additional foliar spray for some properties. Consent form information has been sent via email and postal mail so please return these ASAP! We will be sending out notifications again soon. Follow the link below to view the updated map and get the details! https://www.japanesebeetlepdx.info/treatment.html  We have officially wrapped up our 2020 season. I want to thank everyone who helped make this turbulent year happen.
Overall, 98.5% of you consented to treatment this year. With your help we treated 12,200 residences which came to roughly 4324.5 acres. This year we trapped 4,490 Japanese beetles in total; 4,218 in the Cedar Mill area. The overall number of beetles trapped in 2020 was down 42% from the previous year. There was a 58% reduction in the number of beetles trapped within our 2019 treatment boundary as a result of the 2019 granular and 2020 foliar treatments. We saw a 67% decrease within the boundaries of the supplementary foliar treatment. In order to eradicate this pest, we plan to continue our treatment next season. We will continue our aggressive approach in 2021 while we have the upper hand. We are currently planning our 2021 treatment boundary and will share it once it is finalized. We urge everyone to continue not participating in plant exchanges and to adhere to the yard debris quarantine to prevent the spread of the Japanese beetle. Again, we thank you all for your continued support helping Oregon eradicate the Japanese beetle. It wouldn’t be possible without all of you! Earlier this year, the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s IPPM program continued its multi-year effort to eradicate Japanese beetle. From April to June, ODA applied granular larvicide treatment, Acelepryn G® to over 12,000 properties in Washington County. Treatment primarily consisted of one granular larvicide treatment applied to all grass lawns and/or ornamental planting beds in areas where beetles were detected in 2019. Acelepryn G® is a targeted larvicide that kills certain pests in their larval state in the soil. This is a “reduced risk” pesticide and is not considered to be a health risk for humans, pets, or wildlife, including pollinators, when applied according to label directions.
In areas with high beetle density, the granular treatment (Acelepryn G®) were supplemented with a foliar spray (Acelepryn®). The foliar application has the same active ingredient (chlorantraniliprole) as the granular treatment, and therefore the same minimal risks. Properties within 200 meters of a Japanese beetle trap that collected 40+ beetles in 2019 were included in the higher density treatment area. The supplementary treatment was sprayed in late June to early July on non-edible ornamental trees, shrubs and plants that are known Japanese beetle hosts at over 800 properties. The spray has no known adverse effects on beneficial and non-target organisms including earthworms and honeybees. This pesticide was selected because it is considered highly effective, but also registered as a reduced risk pesticide under the EPA. The 2018 eradication resulted in a 56% decrease in Japanese beetle in 2019. ODA will have more information on the impact of the 2019 treatment when the Japanese beetle trap numbers are totaled in fall of this year. The impact of this year’s eradication will not be known until Fall of 2021. ODA plans to move forward with eradication operations in 2021, and next years eradication boundary map will be released in Fall of 2020. Thank you to the residents for your continued support in helping eradicate this invasive and destructive pest, especially during these uncertain times. Please do not hesitate to contact project coordinator Ashley Toland by calling 503-881-5198 or emailing: [email protected]. The yard debris drop-off site opens TODAY at Best Buy in Town Landscape Supply* *In previous years, Northwest Landscape Services (NLS) was the yard debris quarantine drop site, Best Buy in Town Landscape Supply (BBIT) is the new yard debris quarantine site. **The yard debris quarantine drop site is opening later in the season than past years, this delay is a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Best Buy in Town Landscape Supply 2200 NE Cornelius Pass Rd Hillsboro, OR - 503-506-6446 Hours for yard debris drop-off starting June 1 2020: Monday - Saturday 7 am to 4:30 pm Closed Sunday The redirection of curbside materials for deep burial at Hillsboro landfill began on April 1, 2020. Who needs to use this drop-off site?: This quarantine is in place to help stop the spread of Japanese beetle. Landscapers and residents with large loads of yard debris (materials that do not fit in curbside containers) within the quarantine boundary (see map below) must use this FREE drop-off site for large loads of yard debris that contains quarantined material (see list below). Residents within the treatment area can also continue to use their curbside containers for smaller loads of yard debris. All curbside containers are being re-directed to Hillsboro landfill for deep burial. Drop site instructions: Landscapers & residents within the quarantine boundary must enter Best Buy in Town Landscape Supply through the main entrance on Cornelius Pass and park in front of the main BBIT office. A customer service person will help confirm that the yard debris is from the Japanese beetle quarantined area and direct you from where to go next. The quarantine means all quarantined yard debris must be either:
Accepted Materials (Materials under quarantine)
Flyers to print and distribute to your landscaper and/or crew: Flyer in English Flyer in Spanish (español)  Map of quarantined area. Please note this area has expanded since from 2019.
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Header photograph by Whitney Cranshaw, bugwood.org
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