Japanese beetles pose a looming threat to Washington agriculture, study warns

PULLMAN, Washington (CBS2) — According to a news release from Washington State University, a recent study says the Japanese beetle could make its way across Washington within two decades.

The beetles damage plants by “skeletonizing” their leaves, chewing up all the soft green parts between the veins. They eat over 300 plants and threaten Washington agriculture as some of their favorite crops include grapes, hops and cherries.

Once established, Japanese beetles are tough to eradicate, but it may be possible to keep them under control, said David Crowder, a Washington State University entomologist.

“These coordinated, intense efforts early in the invasion are really critical because if we wait too long, it just becomes an endemic problem,” said Crowder, senior author on the study published in the Journal of Economic Entomology. “Hopefully, we can prevent the beetles from expanding beyond the quarantine areas, at least in the near future.”

The study found that Japanese beetles could thrive in the dry, agriculture-rich southeastern part of the state, where the first individuals were found three years ago. If they were to escape the quarantines in those areas, modeling shows they would likely spread throughout the region from Yakima to the Tri-Cities and north past Moses Lake.

The effort to control the spread needs the help of the agriculture industry and residents to report where the beetles are found and take appropriate measures, Crowder said.

More information on how to spot Japanese beetles and help prevent their spread can be found HERE.

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