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Japanese Beetle

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Japanese Beetle

Often appearing en masse in summertime, these metallic green beetles feed on a wide range of garden plants, especially beans, basil, raspberries, grapes, hollyhocks, and roses. The beetles chew out the tissue between the veins of leaves and flowers, leaving behind a lacy skeleton.

Adults feed and mate all summer long. Eggs are laid in late summer, primarily in lawn areas close to the plants they have been feeding on. The eggs hatch into 1″, C-shaped white grubs. Before burrowing deep into the soil to overwinter, the grubs feed on plant roots — especially those of lawn grasses. In spring the grubs migrate back to the soil surface to pupate emerge as adults in early summer. Japanese beetles are a major garden pest in almost all areas east of the Rockies.

Prevention and Control
  • Japanese beetles move slowly when temperatures are cool, which make it easy to handpick them or to shake them directly off plants onto a drop cloth. Kill the beetles you collect by dumping them in a container of soapy water.
  • Cover plants with garden fabric to keep beetles from feeding.

Recommended Products

  • Milky Spore A naturally occurring microscopic bacteria (Bacillus popilliae) that kills Japanese beetle grubs before they can grow into ravenous adults. Use in combination with beneficial nematodes (Grub Guard)
  • Catch-Can with Bait Its double bait system (a floral and a pheremone lure) attracts and traps Japanese beetles. Best for large yards, where it can be placed away from the garden.
  • Grub Guard Contains beneficial nematodes, naturally occurring microorganisms that live in the soil. They feed on Japanese beetle grubs, Colorado potato beetle grubs, cutworms, root weevils, flea larvae and other soil-dwelling insects. Won't harm earthworms or most beneficial insects, safe around pets.
  • Rose Rx 3-in-1 Wards off spider mites, whiteflies, lily beetles and Japanese beetles. Also controls black spot and powdery mildew. It works for all flowers and ornamentals; safe for houseplants and food crops, too.
  • Summerweight Garden Fabric Fabric cover screens out Japanese beetles, potato beetles, cabbage worms, leaf miners, carrot flies and most vine borers. Transmits 85 percent of the light to plants without allowing heat build-up.
  • Insect Control Spray Controls pests with fast-acting natural pyrethrins to kill insects and larvae on contact and canola oil to smother eggs
  • Garden Dust Contains copper sulphate and pyrethrins. Use it as a last resort if other controls are not effective
  • Insect Netting with Hoops Protect your crops from insects with this net-and-hoop system, designed to fit over a garden row.
  • Bon-Neem Spray Controls a variety of pests, including aphids, mites, whiteflies, flea beetles, scale and earwigs. Contains natural potassium salts and potent neem tree oil.
  • Plant Protection Tents Protect your crops from insects with this net, designed to fit on a raised bed.
  • Pest Control Pop-Up Covers Protect your crops from insects with this net, designed to fit on a raised bed.
  • Super Hoops Use these hoops to support garden fabric, which shuts out insects.
  • Slug Guard These beneficial nematodes are tiny, soil-dwelling predators that target slugs, killing them within 48 hours. One application is effective all summer. Unlike chemical controls, they won't harm earthworms or most beneficial insects, and they are safe to use around children and pets.
  • Insect Pop-Up Nets Protect your crops from insects with this net, designed to fit on a raised bed.

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