Japanese Beetles in Washington County and Portland

Hello invasive species watchers,

I recently came across an article from KOIN 6 about a large number of Japanese Beetle sightings this summer where Washington County meets Portland. Any of you who have lived in the eastern US or have family there are probably familiar with how troublesome Japanese Beetles are for anyone who has a rose garden or a turf lawn. My aunt and uncle catch hundreds in their Chicago garden every year, not something I'd like to see for us in Oregon! Japanese beetles love to eat lots of species and cause a lot of damage. Oregon has been successfully working to keep them from becoming established here for decades. The ODA has isolated the current population for now and is working on a plan to possibly eradicate them from the area.

The ODA is urging the public to refrain from spraying pesticides on your own. If you see any beetles or signs of damage by larvae to lawns, please report here and call ODA at 1-800-525-0137 or 503-986-4644, especially if you see any signs of Japanese Beetles outside the Washington County/Portland area.

My first science job was as an insect trapper with the ODA. Every summer thousands of traps are placed throughout Oregon, with beetle traps concentrating around Portland International Airport which is the most common pathway for these beetles. They fly into cargo planes in the east and hitch a ride all the way to Portland. Planes are sprayed with insecticide to kill beetles and other pests, so part of the ODA's job entails walking through empty cargo planes with a flashlight looking for beetles. The ODA also traps for gypsy moths and several other insect pests. I've always been grateful for all the great work ODA has done to keep these species out of our gardens and natural areas as well as all the other great insect management and early detection work they do.

-Lindsey

Publicado el 06 de septiembre de 2016 a las 07:43 PM por wisel