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Department of Agriculture continues fight to eradicate Japanese Beetles

Posted at 3:18 PM, Jul 17, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-17 17:18:20-04

The battle to eradicate the Japanese Beetle continues in the Treasure Valley. 

The Idaho State Department of Agriculture has been fighting the beetles aggressively since 2013 when more than 3,000 were caught in traps around the Boise area.

This year, the department has caught seven beetles so far.

To combat the pests, crews spray pesticides on lawns and grass in areas where beetles are captured. 

Tuesday, spraying will continue in targeted areas in the Warm Springs neighborhood and near Manitou and Williams Parks. 

"When we started, when we were catching 3000, it was like shooting fish in a barrel," Department of Agriculture entomologist Paul Castrovillo said. "Now, we're getting down to double-digits, maybe even single digits, and it's more like a needle in a haystack, so we'll be doing little mop-up areas here and there."

Homeowners affected by the spraying have been notified.