Japanese Beetles

Japanese beetles have emerged. We are unsure what the population will look like this year. These beetles will feed on over 300 ornamental and agricultural plants. We would like to clear the air of some common misconceptions about these destructive insects:

 Beetle traps work but they work too well. Each trap has the potential to bring in a few extra 100,000 insects into the landscape.

 Grub management will not prevent or stop adult beetles from flying into the landscape. Grub management will only protect the turf.

 Milky Spores may not be as effective as it once was. It only kills the grub of the Japanese beetle and will not manage the other four white grubs we can see in the lawn.

The best defense to help reduce damage to the landscape is by spot treating highly prized or high value plants. Consider using lower toxic options such as neem-based products to reduce collateral damage to beneficial insects. Hand picking has been proven to be an effective measure to reduce damage to plants. Hand picking should be done in the evening around 7 PM. This will help reduce the distress pheromones that the plant emits and the aggregation pheromones the beetles produce.