Last year in Orem, Utah, a Japanese Beetle infestation was discovered.  Not only is this voracious pest a threat to home gardens and landscaping, but threatens to damage our area’s nursery and floriculture businesses. It was decided to spray 450 acres, which were located in the middle of the city in what was mostly residential areas encompassing three neighborhoods.  But what about the threat to the citizens of Orem and their pets?  Was this pesticide treatment safe for them?  As the 2008 Japanese Beetle Eradication Program is about to get underway, these are questions we need to have answered.

The pesticides being used are Merit 2F (Imidacloprid) and Tempo SC Ultra (cyfluthrin).  Merit 2F is used to kill the beetle in it’s larval stages and is applied as a granule to lawns, where the larvae do their worst damage.  Tempo is used to kill the adult beetle.  No one like the idea of having their living space polluted with pesticides, however my research shows that both of these toxins are relatively safe, especially when they are applied correctly.  They are routinely used by TrueGreen Chemlawn, who apply it to area landscaping all the time.  They are actually the ones contracted to apply it during the eradication program, so one would assume that they are knowledgeable about correct application of these chemicals.  Furthermore, tests have shown that both of these toxins have had no cancer effects in test animals and that it dries quickly and breaks down easily in the environment.  To be fair, they can be highly toxic to water organisms and bees, but the threat to our area posed by the Japanese Beetle outweighs the concerns over this temporary spraying program.  Also the UDAF and other biologists are keeping an close eye on the area’s pollinating insects such as bees and wasps and every attempt to protect them will be taken.

The good news is that positive results have been observed from the 2007 efforts.  Thanks to the successful first year, only 267 acres will have to be sprayed this year.  Also unlike last year, gardening can take place in the affected areas as long as the gardeners take some basic precautions such as, leaving a five foot turf-free area around their garden, hold off watering in the spring until absolutely necessary, and interspersing plants that the Japanese beetle does not like.  These positive results show that we must finish out the three year plan of spraying if we are to rid ourselves completely from this harmful pest.

In conclusion, when facing a serious problem, the community must weigh it’s options.  Of course, we would all prefer to not have to spray our neighborhoods with poisons, but the future damage that would occur by an unchecked Japanese Beetle infestation is the greater threat.  We must all do our part.  Attend the community meetings, educate yourself on how to dispose of your landscaping waste and support the Japanese Beetle Eradication Program.