Quarantine for plants with Japanese beetles instituted in Colorado

This past September, the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) issued a proposal of changes to the current regulations surrounding the threat of Japanese Beetles (JB) to nursery stock. This invasive species has been located in parts of metro Denver, Boulder, Pueblo and various nurseries and sod farms, but the majority of Colorado is not yet infested.

In an effort to thwart the spread of JB to the rest of the state, CDA is urging commercial nurseries, landscape contractors and garden centers to abide by an internal quarantine along the Colorado Front Range. External quarantines help prevent JB from entering the state via nursery stock, but moving plants and soil within the state could spread the pest to non-infested areas. The Internal Quarantine Area would include Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Pueblo and Weld Counties.

For the full story, on the ALCC website, click here.

To read the full proposal, click here.