Japanese Beetle Information for Garden Centres

New Guidelines for Retailers in the Japanese Beetle Regulated Areas

Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) is a federally regulated plant pest that was first detected in the False Creek area of Vancouver in 2017. Japanese beetle can cause significant damage to the horticultural, environmental and agricultural landscape of BC.  CFIA has been collaborating with multi-levels of government, industry, and the general public to eradicate this pest from British Columbia.

Japanese beetle regulated areas

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has been engaging retailers situated within a Japanese beetle regulated area to prevent the spread of this damaging insect and raise awareness about how you can help protect your industry.

Under the new guidelines, retailers within a regulated area who wish to sell potted plants (with soil or growing media) to customers who may be taking the plants outside of a regulated area, must operate under one of the following four options listed to reduce the risk of spreading Japanese beetle.

Read the full letter to garden centres 

If retail plants are kept exclusively in a closed indoor area during the Japanese beetle flight period (June 15 – October 15), then those plants can move outside of a regulated area (RA) and no movement certificate is required.

If retail plants have undergone a regulatory treatment, as per Section 5.3 of D-96-15, and a movement certificate has been obtained by the retailer, then those plants can move outside of a regulated area.

If retail plants were produced in compliance with the Japanese beetle Pest-free Greenhouse / Screenhouse Program, as per Annex 1 of D-96-15, and a movement certificate has been obtained by the retailer, then those plants can move outside of a regulated area.

If a retail plant entered the regulated area after October 16th of the previous year, and it is not a grass
(family Poacaea)*, then the plant can be sold and moved by a customer outside of a regulated area under
the following conditions:

• A) the CFIA has issued a regulatory notice to you, the retailer, which requires you, the retailer, to:

1. 1. display CFIA-issued signage that educates your customers about Japanese beetle and the
      regulated area (includes a map of the regulated area);
   2. inspect the plant for Japanese beetle prior to the plant leaving the store;
   3. allow the CFIA to place a Japanese beetle trap within your premises during the adult
      Japanese beetle flight season (June 15 to October 15 annually), and provide access to the
      trap throughout the adult Japanese beetle flight season, so a CFIA inspector can check
      and maintain the trap, as needed.

• B) the CFIA has confirmed you, the retailer, are compliant with the regulatory notice requirements
  listed above in option 4.a, and subsequently issued a movement certificate to you, the retailer.
  The customer will not be required to complete any further action.

*Note: Grass (family Poaceae) poses a significant risk as a potential host plant for Japanese beetle. Whenever possible, retailers should encourage their customers not to purchase and remove members of the Poaceae family from a regulated area. Retailers should work with customers to educate them on the risk and find alternatives if moving outside of the regulated area.

Retailers are responsible for selecting an option and will be assessed by the CFIA on a case-by-case basis. The CFIA is not responsible for any additional costs incurred as a result of Japanese beetle regulatory compliance actions. Please contact the CFIA as soon as possible to determine which option will work best for your facility.