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

• Turn in your consent form online or by mail ASAP.
  • If you live in the treatment area you can expect to receive a notice in your mail with the consent form in late January.
  • A response from every resident in the treatment area is required.
• Follow all treatment instructions from mailers and treatment crew members.

Optional

• Attend events in your area to ask questions and learn more. Check out our Updates page for upcoming online and in-person events on February 15 & 19, 2019. 
• Improve your Japanese beetle identification. Know their physical traits and destructive habits. Visit our look-alike guide. 
• Spread the word to your neighbors and encourage them to return their consent forms and stay up-to-date on the project.
• Communicate with the ODA team with questions, concerns, and/or kudos. Members of the ODA team review emails, voicemails, and webform comments daily. Your communication is vital. Please get in touch if you have questions!
• Stay tuned and spread the word to your neighbors! To have a chance at eradicating the beetle–and stop if from ultimately spreading throughout Oregon and the western United States–ODA needs your support.

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 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:

• grass clippings
• plants with roots or soil attached
• sod or removed turfgrass
• growing media (i.e. potting soil from raised beds or potted plants, NOT fill dirt)
• compost
• bulbs or tubers of ornamental plants
• mixed loads containing any of the above material (avoid mixed loads containing garbage and non-plant material)

Not necessary or acceptable materials:

• loads of only leaves in the Fall/Autumn
• tree limbs or prunings (no roots attached)
• shrubs prunings or clippings (no roots attached)
• fill dirt
• lumber or fence boards with dirt attached
• non-plant materials (for example: lumber, cement, gravel, and fencing)
• materials not on the list of quarantined debris or materials

Note:

• Compost and transfer facilities ARE NOT ALLOWED to accept yard debris from the quarantine area in order to prevent the spread of Japanese beetle.
• If possible, keep yard debris at the property or use a standard curbside yard debris bin. However, if yard debris must be removed from the property, bag and cover the load and take it directly to: Northwest Landscape Services, 1800 NW Cornelius Pass Rd, Hillsboro, OR - (503) 486-5154.
  • Summer Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday: 6am to 6pm, Saturday by appointment; Closed Sunday. CLOSED for the Fall/Winter starting OCTOBER 5th, 2018 at 6pm. Northwest Landscape Services will reopen APRIL 1st, 2019.
  • There is no charge for residents within the quarantine or their landscape companies to dispose of yard debris waste at Northwest Landscape Services.
• As of April 2018, the road signs on Saltzman Road, NW 143rd Ave, and other locations regarding the Japanese beetle quarantine have been removed. This does not mean that the quarantine is not in effect.
  

[TAGS: Washington County, Gardeners, Quarantine, Residents, Yard debris, Landscapers, Northwest Landscaping Services, Updates, Beetles in Oregon]

PLEASE NOTE: THIS POST IS AN ARCHIVE FROM THE 2017-2018 PROJECT YEAR.
Japanese beetles were first observed in Washington county in 2016. Subsequent trapping and risk modeling has determined that certain areas have a particularly high number of beetles that may hitchhike out of the area on high risk yard debris. To aid in successful eradication, Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) is working to contain the Japanese beetle population to a limited and manageable area.


ODA has enacted a yard debris quarantine as part of a multi-pronged approach to eradicate the Japanese beetle from Oregon. This quarantine minimizes their spread to other areas in the region by restricting where and how yard debris from inside the quarantine area is transported and processed. Two key containment strategies have been implemented: 1) yard debris in household curbside bins are covered and hauled directly to deep burial at the landfill and 2) yard debris picked up by landscapers is directed to be covered and transported directly to a designated yard debris drop-off site at Northwest Landscape Services, 1800 NW Cornelius Pass Rd, Hillsboro, OR. In 2017, approximately 2,000 tons of yard debris were successfully moved into a special deep burial zone at the Hillsboro landfill where Japanese beetles within the material cannot escape.

​Why a yard debris drop-off site outside of the quarantine area?

The Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Metro and Washington County worked closely and deliberated over site locations. They ultimately chose this site for a few well-planned reasons. First, the site was chosen as the lowest risk site. This means that the site has the ability to manage the amount of material transferred and has the lowest risk of spreading beetles to other areas through re-sale of compost, recycled soil, or other mechanisms. Additionally, this drop-off site is in the same county where the population exists, Washington County, and is in near other commonly used yard debris drop-off sites reducing the burden on the landscapers or homeowners.

Explore the interactive map with both the boundary of the quarantine area and treatment area, here. ​

What happens at the drop-off site?

​This is a FREE service for those with material from the quarantine area. The time the material sits at the drop-off site is kept short in order to minimize the chance of beetles escaping and re-establishing in the area. Each load is then moved to a deep burial site in the Hillsboro Landfill to join the curbside yard debris from the quarantine area that is picked up by garbage haulers. Project partners monitor the quarantined yard debris to ensure proper disposal of material. When residents and landscapers comply with ODA regulations, they are more likely to succeed in protection of Oregon’s agriculture and natural resources.