Money to continue battle with beetle tucked into bill balancing Oregon’s budget

Money to continue battle with beetle tucked into bill balancing Oregon’s budget

A Japanese beetle feeds on a willow branch. The Oregon Department of Agriculture has monitored and largely controlled the invasive bugs for the last decade, but a funding lapse caused some farmers alarm. (Photo courtesy of Oregon State University)Oregon farmers for years have been battling an invasive beetle that “will nibble pretty much on anything that’s green,” said Chris Benemann, director of plant protection at the Oregon Department of Agri…