It's summer time in the Quad Cities and 4th of July fireworks always seem to signal the beginning of Japanese Beetle season. The Japanese beetle was first discovered in the U.S. in 1916. It has no natural enemies in the U.S. and continues to proliferate within our borders.
The beetles, with distinctive metallic green and coppery coloring, feed on over 300 types of plants. Their destructive feeding of leaf tissues can be so severe that only the leaf veins are left behind, a skeleton, of what they once were.
Homeowners usually notice these beetles in mid-summer as they feed on some of their garden favorites like perennials, roses and ornamental trees.
The beetles begin a cycle of feeding and egg laying that lasts well into the month of August. By the end of August, the eggs have hatched in the ground and the larvae or grubs begin feeding on the lawn.
Several control methods are available though they should usually be used in combination to get the best results.
Wallaces recommends putting down a Season-Long Grub Control, like Grubex
or Bayer Season Long Grub Control to prevent grubs from attacking the lawn.
This will protect your grass and other plant roots but will not help with the adult beetles feeding on your plants. If you already have grubs in the lawn, Dylox or
Bayer 24 Hour Grub Killer can get rid of them.
For the adult beetles, a contact insecticide like SEVIN maybe used to spray on the pests. There is also a systemic insecticide available that be used on trees, shrubs, and perennials to protect the plants from the inside out. This insecticide, known as MERIT,
can be found in Bayer Tree and Shrub Insect Control as well as Bayer All in One Rose and Flower Care.
Japanese beetle traps are available for sale but research indicates that the traps may attract even more beetles to the yard and may worsen the problem.
Japanese beetles can be devastating to the landscape but careful monitoring and acting preventatively can ensure that these bugs are a pest that only your neighbors worry about.
For more information on Japanese Beetles please click on the link below.
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2001.html
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