Conifer shipping: Plan ahead to best meet Japanese beetle requirements

Editor’s note: This article is from the archives of the MSU Crop Advisory Team Alerts. Check the label of any pesticide referenced to ensure your use is included.

Growers who will be shipping conifers or other nursery stock as balled and burlapped or containerized stock out of Michigan should be aware that the trees must meet Japanese beetle requirements of the destination state. Growers who ship within Michigan or to Ohio, Illinois or Indiana have little to worry about as far as Japanese beetles go, because all of these states are recognized as infested and so there are no Japanese beetle treatment requirements.

Shipments that go beyond the above listed states often require specific treatments or special inspections to assure that Japanese beetle larvae are not hitchhiking in the soil associated with the roots. The Michigan Department of Agriculture advises growers that they should consult with MDA early on to determine how best to meet the shipping criteria. Growers who wait until the week before shipping will find the options extremely limited or non-existent, and like most last-minute items, more costly.

Right now is a good time to contact MDA to determine what the requirements will be for shipments made this fall and next spring. MDA advises growers to contact the MDA regional office serving their county to discuss how best to meet shipping requirements. Contact information may be found on the MDA web site at http://www.michigan.gov/mda.

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