WSDA Communications
By now many Yakima and Benton county residents have signed
up for free treatment to help WSDA get rid of the pest, Japanese beetle. If you
haven’t heard, we have an infestation of an invasive species on our hands in
that area, and we are working with the residents there to get rid of it.
One of the ways we are doing that is by using a pesticide to
treat properties. Treatments at residential properties are starting late this week or early next week.
That means residents will need to know what to do before, during, and after
treatment.
If you didn’t sign up, it’s not too late. You can sign
up
online, bring your paper form to the nearest city hall, or have one of our agricultural
technicians in the community help you sign up on their tablet computers.
If you did sign up, you’ll get a notification by phone 48
hours in advance, letting you know it’s your turn to get your property treated.
Here are a few things we need you to do to complete the
treatment without a hitch.
Before treatment
·
Unlock your gates to ensure we can access your
yards.
·
Remove children’s swimming pools and toys, and animal
food and water bowls from the lawn.
·
Remove any other items that can easily be moved
from your lawn or grassy areas.
During treatment
·
Keep your animals inside.
·
Adults and children should remain inside so as
not to interfere with the treatment.
After treatment
Our contractor will leave a door hanger on your front door,
and a yard sign in the yard, indicating that the treatment is complete.
After treatment, you should wait until the product has dried
before re-entering the area that was treated.
Attempted treatment
If the contractor attempts to treat your property, but
cannot, they will leave a note and automatically reschedule. Some reasons they
will not be able to complete treatment include locked gates, pets left outside,
items left on lawns like dog bowls, etc. Once rescheduled, you’ll be notified
of the date and anticipated time window. If a second attempt is unsuccessful,
WSDA staff will contact you directly to schedule the treatment and ensure we
have communicated efficiently.
Safety information
Health
officials consider the product safe if humans, pets, and mammals are
exposed. It specifically targets young t larvae or grubs in the ground.
- Avoid the area and keep pets inside until the treatment has
dried.
- If you come into contact with the pesticide, wash the
affected skin with soap and water.
- If your clothes come in contact with the pesticide, remove
clothing and wash before wearing again.
- Eating produce grown in soil treated with Acelepryn is not expected
to cause health effects. However, if you want to avoid exposure, take
steps to avoid surface water runoff from areas treated with Acelepryn into
home gardens. Learn more about how to
prevent runoff when using pesticides.
For up-to-date information on our eradication project, visit
agr.wa.gov/beetles