GRANDVIEW, Wash. – The Washington State Department of Agriculture is recommending a quarantine of the Grandview, WA area to control a beetle infestation.
KOMO reports the Japanese beetle population in the Lower Yakima Valley community has surged from just a handful in 2020 to over 24,000 caught this year.
Experts say the invasive beetle could wreak havoc on the areas agriculture.
But the WSDA says so far the beetle population has stayed within the city limits of Grandview and hasn’t spread to local vineyards or farms.
The proposed 50 square mile quarantine would restrict transportation of compost, manure, yard waste and potted plants.