Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) continues to work to eradicate Japanese beetles in Washington State. Japanese beetles are making their first appearances of the year in Eastern Washington. Five beetles were detected in one trap in Pasco on June 4. You can view detections in real time on the online interactive map.
Across the state, WSDA is monitoring over 12,934 Japanese beetle traps. Traps are placed in infested areas and around potential pathways, like airports, railways, roadways, and transfer stations.. Traps are set from May through October and are checked regularly throughout the season. Once a beetle is caught, the number of beetles and location of the trap are recorded. View the map below to see where traps are located across the state.
Encourage treatment consent
WSDA continues to treat properties for free to protect the community from the invasive Japanese beetle in King, Yakima, Benton and Franklin counties. Properties must return a paper or electronic consent form to be treated. WSDA mailed a third treatment request to properties that have not responded. We need to treat as many properties as possible to prevent Japanese beetle from permanently establishing in our stat. It is not too late to be part of the solution and sign up for a free treatment.
Help spread the word about consenting to a free treatment through collaborative spaces, social media, newsletters, websites and more. To make sharing easy, WSDA has provided images and text for you to use on the spread the word webpage!
Report potential sightings
The first catch of the year was followed by a confirmed sighting from a resident in Wapato on June 5. Be on the lookout for Japanese beetle. Adults love to feed on plant leaves, buds, flowers, and fruits, then mate and drop eggs in the soil below. Adults are about 1/3 inch long, have a metallic green head and thorax, copper wing covers and patches of white hair on the body—five on the side and two on the tip.
Japanese beetle has some common imposters, or other beetles you might find that look similar. Washington Invasive Species Council created a guide to help compare their differences. View the Japanese beetle look-alike like guide on our website.
The pest also likes to hitchhike, so check your vehicle when traveling through areas known to have Japanese beetle. Japanese beetles can also hitchhike in soil, dirt or fill and waste or debris from yards, gardens, and other horticulture activities. Checking for hitchhikers can help protect Washington’s agriculture and natural resources. If you suspect you see a Japanese beetle, please snap a photo and report it online, email pest@agr.wa.gov , or call 1-800-443-6684. Please include the location of your sighting with your report.