Washington State Invaded by New Revolting Bugs

First Washington State was terrorized by the spongy moth, the apple maggot, or the now well known Asian giant hornet. Now Washington has a new revolting bug enemy that the state is trying to quarantine and exterminate before they take over.

The new insect species they are trying to catch is the Japanese beetle. According to Washington State invasive insect website, the beetle is "garden pest native to northern Japan. The adults eat the leaves of plants while the larvae attack the roots, particularly the roots of grasses." They are not "established" in the state yet like the east coast of the United States, but they do have outbreaks.

There is currently an outbreak near both Grandview and Wapato according to local news reports. Both infestations are about 30 miles from each other. The State wants growers to be aware and to watch their crops closely for the beetle. If seen they should talk to an expert for the best way to clean their crops of the beetles.

The State also wants all citizens to keep an eye out for the beetle in their gardens or yards. If you spot one, take a picture and upload it here so the State can track and tack care of infestations. So what do they look like? The following description is from the WISC website.

• "Adults are metallic green and copper, about 3/8 inch long, with a classic “scarab” beetle shape.
• Adults have several small white fuzzy spots along the edge of their abdomens below each wing.
• Larvae are nondescript white grubs found in the soil, and look very much like many native and other exotic species. Grubs are best identified by an experienced entomologist."