It will soon be that time of year again, when Japanese beetle (JB) adults begin to fly! However, there have been some changes to acceptable control products for JB growers need to be aware of in order to be in compliance with certification programs for this pest.
This post highlights changes to treatments and also provides an updated infographic for JB control for those exporting to non-JB areas (both domestically and to the United States).
Infographic developed by S. Jandricic in collaboration with the CFIA. Only applicable to Ontario crops.
Step 1: Do You Need to Treat For JB at All?
As always, you want to start with the decision tree (pictured below) to decide whether you even need to spray at all. If your plants have been grown indoors during critical periods, or you’re not shipping to areas that restrict Japanese beetle (i.e. Category 1 and 2 provinces/states), then you might not have to.
We’ve made some changes this year to make the decision tree a little more clear, so be sure to download the most recent version at the bottom of this post.
In addition, we’ve also added a summary table of which conditions/programs you must fall under to make your product eligible for domestic shipment out of Ontario, as well any requirements/exceptions (for example, root ball size).
Further information on shipping requirements to the U.S. can be found under Section 6.1 of the D-96-15 Phytosanitary Requirements.
Step 2: Pesticide Choice and Timing
Now that you’ve figure that you DO need to use chemical controls for JB, the next question is WHAT do I apply and WHEN? As there are only 3 products registered for JB certification programs in Ontario, the “what” part is easy (see the infographic, below).
However, some important changes have been made:
- 1. Intercept (imidacloprid) is now only allowed for JB control on NON-FLOWERING plants. Therefore, most tree and shrub products can still use imidacloprid as a preventative treatment before shipping. However, growers shipping a crop like potted garden mums Category 1 or 2 provinces / states will have to use Acelepryn (chlorantraniliprole) instead.
- 2. Products containing chlorpyrifos (Lorsban, Dursban) will no longer be allowed after December of this year. Although these were allowed under the program as a curative treatment for many years, this active ingredient is being phased out for most crops by the PMRA.
Important Reminders
There’s always at least 1 grower who misses this each year: please note that there are NO ACCEPTABLE PRODUCTS YOU CAN APPLY FOR JB CONTROL FROM MAY 15-JUNE 15. Why? Refer to this post on the timing of JB pupae and their susceptibility to pesticides.
Because there is a window where you can’t apply products, we strongly suggest growers shipping in late spring/early summer (i.e.May 1-July 15) make sure they get a curative application of Acelepryn on BEFORE MAY 15TH to avoid any issues with shipping to non-JB areas (both domestically and to the U.S.).
You can download a PDF of the whole 2023 JB infographic here: