Important information for garden centres located in or near the Japanese beetle-regulated areas
Note: CFIA has contacted garden centres directly. Please reach out if you are located in a regulated area and have not been contacted.
Are you located in a regulated area? Use the Interactive Map to find out!
For background on the Japanese beetle eradication program visit Japanese Beetle Information for the Landscape Industry.
Guidelines for Retailers in 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.
Options for retailers situated in a Japanese beetle regulated area who intend to sell plants with soil
Option 1:
Keep your plants completely indoors during the Japanese beetle flight period (June 15 – October 15). Plants can then move outside of a regulated area (RA) and no movement certificate is required.
Option 2:
Treat your plants per section 5.3 of D-96-15, and apply for a movement certificate.
Option 3:
Produce plants in compliance with the Japanese beetle Pest-free Greenhouse / Screenhouse Program.
Option 4:
Apply for a movement certificate, and get issued a regulatory notice that lists the following conditions for movement:
- Display CFIA signs in store that educate your customers about Japanese beetle and the
regulated area (includes a map of the regulated area) - If the plant is being moved outside the regulated area, have the store staff inspect the plant at the point of sale
- Allow CFIA to place a trap in your store
*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. Most retailers choose option 4. 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.
Retail of Japanese beetle traps and reporting Japanese beetle presence
Help spread the word!
CFIA is asking all retailers who sell Japanese beetle traps, specifically in and around the regulated areas, to place shelf signs (see photo) by all traps sold in-store as part of our effort to educate the general public about the need to report all Japanese beetles captured. We need your customers who are purchasing these Japanese beetle traps to report the presence of any beetles they find in order to assist us with identifying the locations of beetle populations.
Please let CFIA know who they can contact at your local Burnaby, Vancouver, Port Coquitlam, and/or Coquitlam stores, in and around the regulated area (see enclosed map), so we can make arrangements for ambassadors with the Invasive Species Council of British Columbia (ISCBC) to deliver the shelf signs
Japanese beetle shelf sign for retailers selling Japanese beetle traps (currently under revision)
For more information on how garden centres can assist with the eradication effort, contact the CFIA: 604-292-5742 or email [email protected]
Green Thumb Nurseries
Growers of quality nursery stock. Specializing in rhodos, grafted conifers, Japanese maples in container and B&B. Shipping throughout Canada and USA
Nanaimo
Contact: Gerhard Gerke / Jarrett Gerke / Kyle Gerke
Email Gerhard Gerke / Jarrett Gerke / Kyle Gerke
Phone: (250) 758-0808
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