Japanese beetles also will destroy fruits and vegetables, and their larvae can damage lawns.
Here’s how you canevict any of these pesky bugsin your garden and reduce the damage they cause.
What Do Japanese Beetles Look Like?
Credit: Denny Schrock
Before you battle with Japanese beetles, confirm you recognize the enemy.
Several look-alike beetles also have shiny metallic bodies but don’t have white spots.
They are often actively feeding in the morning and late evening.
Japanese beetles often show up in large groups.Credit: Denny Schrock
A warm, sunny day often will bring a resurgence.
It’s a good idea tocheck for Japanese beetles regularly and control them immediatelybefore they get out of hand.
What Do Japanese Beetles Eat?
Credit: Jay Wilde
These insects aren’t too picky.
Japanese beetles are particularly problematic on fruits such as raspberries, grapes, currants, and apples.
One way to avoid attracting Japanese beetles to your yard is to choose plants they don’t favor.
That’s why quick action to eliminate these insects will help keep the problem manageable.
You may want to try a pesticide for heavy infestations across many plants.
Less toxic options like neem-based pesticides can provide reasonable control, as can insecticidal soaps.
These need to be sprayed directly on the beetles to work.
Are Japanese Beetle Traps a Good Idea?
As temperatures cool toward winter, the grubs burrow deeper down to hibernate.
Then, in spring, they’ll come back up near the surface to feed on grass roots again.
Treating for the grubs will help reduce the number that emerges as adult beetles later.
These include beneficial nematodes and a product known as milky spore, which is derived from bacteria.
