Signs of Japanese Beetle Damage The Japanese beetle has a metallic green body with copper-brown wing covers. Try to apply 3/8 to 1/2 inch of irrigation but avoid surface runoff. While this development is occurring, grubs may tunnel laterally in search of organic matter and fresh roots to feed upon. The insect thrives in hot sunny summer weather so this year has been particularly good for the beetle but bad for farmers and gardeners. The turf feels spongy under foot and can be easily pulled back like old carpet to reveal the grubs. We work with families and children, farmers and businessowners, community leaders and elected officials to build better lives, better businesses and better communities to make Ohio great. Grubs pupate in late spring and emerge from the ground as adult beetles around early to mid-June. However, not all control products perform equally. Products containing halofenozide should be applied in July into the second week of August. Revised:  6/14/2013 Upon oviposition the females depart, but soon return to feed and mate. How to Get Rid of Adult Japanese Beetles Naturally | Columbus, Ohio 43210. The adult beetles are general herbivores and are known to feed on over 400 species of broad-leaved plants, including roses, flowering cherry, zinnias and others, although only about 50 species are preferred. The beetles will scramble off the leaf and drop into your cup. They tend to gather in large numbers on shrubs and trees after emerging and can often be found congregating in balls of a hundred or more beetles on the turf. Trees and shrubs most attractive to adults include: Japanese and Norway maple, birch, pin oak, horse chestnut, Rose of Sharon, sycamore, ornamental apple, plum, cherry, rose, mountain ash, willows, lindens, elms and Virginia creeper. Chemical Control of Adults:  Several insecticides are labeled for use against adult Japanese beetles. Preventative insecticides are best applied prior to egg lay typically early July. The insect parasitic nematodes, Steinernema spp. Trees and shrubs rarely attacked include: red and silver maple, holly, boxwood, euonymus, flowering dogwood, cedar, juniper, arborvitae, red oak, tulip tree, magnolias, red mulberry, forsythia, ashes, privet, lilac, spruces, hydrangeas and taxus (yew). An EEO/AA employer, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title VI, Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act requirements. The Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica, is considered the single most important turfgrass-infesting pest in the United States. This site designed and maintained by CFAES Marketing and Communications. Products containing clothianidin are effective from May through August. CFAES Diversity  |  Nondiscrimination notice  |  Site Map. Once they reach maturation in summer, these new adult Japanese beetles come out of the ground and fly for miles, if necessary, in search of food. Attacked leaves look like lace that soon withers and dies. The beetle is adapted to a region where the mean summer soil temperature is between 64 and 82F and winter soil temperatures are above 15F. After feeding for a day or two, the females leave feeding sites in the afternoon and burrow into the soil to lay eggs at a depth of 2 to 4 inches. Nurserymen and sod producers shipping plant material with soil out of Japanese beetle infested areas must obtain an inspection and certification. Mid-summer rainfall and adequate soil moisture are needed to prevent eggs and newly-hatched grubs from drying out. Biological control products include milky spore disease, insect-parasitic nematodes, and fungal pathogens such as Beauveria bassiana and Metarrhiizium. Adult Japanese beetles can be easily identified by their coloring. In Ohio, the most damaging populations are east of a line running from Cleveland to Cincinnati. It was first discovered in the U.S. in southern New Jersey in 1916. The life stages for the Japanese Beetle are: The females will feed on your plants for a couple of days and then burrow into the soil to lay their eggs. Control:  Both the adults and grubs of Japanese beetles cause damage. If sufficient food and moisture are available, the first instars can complete development in 17 days at 78°F or as long as 30 days at 68°F. Since the eggs and young grubs are very susceptible to desiccation, refrain from irrigating during the time the eggs and first instar larvae are developing. I dread them every year because they can absolutely ravage a harvest. Ova are laid individually, or in small clusters near the soil surface. After this time, or in late April and early May, only trichlorfon may work but it needs to be watered in immediately after application. Entomologist Dr. Chad Gore of Ehrlich Pest Control says, “This is the time of year we expect to see the adults come out.” But he adds, unlike cicadas, “They are a perennial pest.” The beetles start causing damage while still in the larvae form underground. Isolated, damaging populations of grubs are occasionally found west of this line, usually in high-quality urban turf. The adult beetles are general herbivores and are known to feed on over 400 species of broad-leaved plants, including roses, flowering cherry, zinnias and others, although only about 50 species are preferred. Japanese beetles are small insects that make a huge impact on garden health. Japanese Beetles are most active during the hottest part of the day. For technical support please contact the CFAES Helpdesk. Description:  Japanese beetle adults are slightly less than 1∕2 inch long, and are shiny, metallic green. Thus controlling one life stage will not preclude potential problems with the other. But they do! The damage they do shows up in August and September. Japanese beetles occur in every state east of the Mississippi River except Florida. Irrigating causes a short-lasting response or no response at all. Data indicate that these traps do not significantly reduce grub populations and in some cases may actually contribute to increased foliar plant damage as a result of adult beetle feeding. It won’t hurt earthworms or even a … In general, grubs are actively feeding at the surface when the surface soil temperatures reach 65°F, usually in mid-April. We teach, learn, lead and serve, connecting people with the University of Wisconsin, and engaging with them in transforming lives and communities. The Japanese beetle is destroying plants across Windsor Essex. The optimal timing for curative treatments is early to mid-August. Japanese beetles cause leaves to appear skeletonized. Several traps have been developed to capture the adults. These grubs feed on grass roots and can damage turf if populations are high. Though this has not stopped the slow progression of Japanese beetles westward, it seems to have slowed the process. Japanese beetles lay their eggs in the soil, usually in June. Life Cycle:  Japanese beetles have only one generation per year. The first instar larvae dig to the soil surface where they feed on roots and organic material. Within approximately two weeks, the ova hatch, the larvae feeding on fine roots and other organic material. I have never looked into getting rid of them as grubs. Japanese beetles belong to a large family of beetles called scarabs. Large populations of grubs kill the turf in irregular patches. The original population was detected in New Jersey in 1916, having been introduced from Japan. The larvae--grubs--eat turf roots, damaging lawns. However, most of the damage to ornamentals and turf grass happens during the spring and fall the second year. This fact sheet is a revision of HYG-2504-91, "Japanese Beetle," by David J. Shetlar. Come summer, instead of a peaceful stroll through the garden, I often feel like I’m trapped in beetle-mania. In mid-June or around 1000 growing degree day units, adults begin emerging from the soil. Japanese beetles have been around for 10 years. Copyright © 2015, The Ohio State University, David J. Shetlar and Jennifer E. Andon, Department of Entomology. Occasional introductions are made into more western states such as Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and Arkansas. The abdomen appears black-and-white striped because of white tufts of hair on the abdominal segments. If the soil contains adequate moisture, eggs will fully swell in 2 to 3 days. These bugs attack most types of plants and eat away at their foliage and flowers, leaving them with holes. The mature grubs form a pre-pupa in early June. As soil temperatures cool in the fall, and the first meaningful frost occurs, grubs begin to move deeper into the soil. Treat foliage and flowers thoroughly. | Columbus, Ohio 43210 | 614-292-6181 Dr. Gore says the “larvae will feed on the roots of the grass in the lawn.” Keep in mind that microbial insecticides require immediate irrigation upon application to move product into the soil-thatch interface and that these products may succumb to UV degradation. The grubs continue their development in the spring and the few second instars seem to mature in time to pupate along with the third instars. As larvae, Japanese beetles live underground, feeding on the roots of grasses and other garden plants. The turf first appears off-color as if under water stress. Who would have ever thought that those little creatures could do so much damage in only a few short weeks? Older grubs are more drought-tolerant and will move deeper into the soil if conditions become dry. Mating also is common on the food plants and several matings by both males and females is common. The way to reduce the beetles population, if it’s possible at all, is to reduce the population of grubs they come from, with natural inoculants like nematodes or Milky Spore. Carbaryl (Sevin), clothianidin (Arena) and trichlorfon are three active ingredients that all provide meaningful curative control. CFAES COVID-19 Resources:   Safe and Healthy Buckeyes   |   COVID-19 Hub   |   CFAES Calendar. Columbus, Ohio 43210 At a nickel per bug, a trip to the ice cream store can soon be financed! In mid-June or around 1000 growing degree day units, adults begin emerging from the soil. The second instars take 18 days to mature at 78°F and 56 days at 68°F. “Eight” works better than “Sevin.” White grub damage can result in dead turf and can encourage animal digging. The grubs can kill small seedling plants but most commonly damage turf. The adults will often attack flower buds and fruit. The grubs burrow 4 to 8 inches into the soil as cold temperatures arrive. Males and females have the same markings, but females are typically slightly larger. Japanese beetles like these come out in large numbers and are known to eat over 300 species of plants. Japanese beetles spend most of their one-year lifecycle underground as a white, c-shaped grub. However, adequate soil moisture in late-August and September can help damaged turf recover from grub damage. They have a substantially shorter shelf life than standard grub control products. (=Neoaplectana) glaseri Steiner, was used before 1940 and had considerable promise but this agent was not developed further because of problems of rearing and expense. Immediately thereafter, females mate with males and begin laying eggs. The pupa is formed in the split skin of the pre-pupa in an earthen cell 1 to 3 inches below the surface. The Japanese beetle life cycle repeats year after year, but, you can combat these pests at every stage by taking a few proactive measures. Products containing dinotefuran, trichlorfon or clothianidin work best when Japanese beetle grubs are in the first and second instars (August through first week of September). They feed on foliage or flowers, and are a major pest of over 350 species of plants, including fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, field and forage crops, and weeds. The eggs then develop into white grubs that have brown heads, 6 legs, and reaching sizes of up to ¾ inch in length. Their larvae, called white grubs, will also feed on a wide variety of plant roots including ornamental trees and shrubs, garden and truck crops, and turfgrasses. This feeding creates a very spongy feel to the soil and turf. There are insecticides you can purchase at your local garden center to kill the adult beetles, as well as products to control the larvae or grubs. Japanese Beetle Q & A. The original population was detected in New Jersey in 1916, having been introduced from Japan. Adults feed on the upper surface of the foliage of most plants, consuming soft tissues (mesophyll) between the veins, and leaving a lace-like skeleton. Also, beetles thrive in areas where precipitation is rather uniform throughout the year, averaging at least 10 inches during the summer. Even if you succeed in controlling your Japanese beetle population, your neighbor’s Japanese beetles might come on over. Trees with extensive feeding damage turn brown and become partially defoliated. The typical C-shape of Japanese beetle larvae is similar to that of other white grub species. About 95% of a population is generally laid by mid-August, though adults may be found until the first frost of fall. The beetle will eat its way around the plant. seem to be the most effective of the currently available nematodes. You can plan on about 6 to 7 weeks for Japanese Beetles to be in your garden and eating the leaves off your trees. As the larvae mature, they become c-shaped grubs which consume progressively coarser roots and may do economic damage to pasture and turf at this time. Thereafter, the grubs stop feeding and begin creating an earthen cell where they pupate (i.e., transform) into adults. Larvae that have matured by June pupate and the adult beetles emerge from the last week of June through July. The red flour beetle is found more often in southern, warmer states, and the confused … Since then, Japanese beetle numbers have fluctuated from year to year. ©  2020 The Ohio State University, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, 2120 Fyffe Road | Room 3 Ag Admin Bldg. Grubs can also withstand high levels of soil moisture, so excessive rainfall or irrigation will not affect them. In Ohio and Kentucky, test trials have shown that these bacteria only cause 20–25% infection rates. A number of insect parasites and predators feed on Japanese beetle. Population reduction. Generally most of the grubs are in the third instar by early fall and are ready to dig into the soil to hibernate. Plants Attacked and Damage:  Japanese beetle adults do not damage turf, but are an important pest of many other plants. In cool weather, the adults may feign death by dropping from the plants, but normally, they will take flight. Preventative products contain the active ingredients imidacloprid, chorantraniliprole, clothianidin and thiamethoxam. Beetles typically go through 4 stages of development. Adult Japanese beetle. Here are a few common Q & A Japanese beetle facts to help you understand how to control these pests better. We’ve talked about this a little on the Forums, in a thread about moles (who love the grubs that become the beetles…one big chain of garden havoc). College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences Good news…Milky Spore is a non-chemical grub control Milky Spore is a disease that only affects Japanese Beetle grubs. This approach is termed “curative” control. In the spring, when soil temperatures reach 50F, the grubs begin to move up into the root-zone to resume feeding for about three to five weeks. Females may lay 1 to 5 eggs scattered in an area before leaving the soil. , is generally found east of a line running from Michigan, southern Wisconsin and Illinois, south to Alabama. The adult beetles start munching plants in mid-June through July. Commercially available products containing strains of S. carpocapsae have been marginally effective. SIZE: One-eighth of an inch. However, unlike the bowl-cut Beatles who gave us songs like “Mother Nature’s Son” and “Yesterday,” these beetles were an unwelcome addition to the area. Japanese beetles are most commonly found in the Twin Cities metropolitan area as well as southeast Minnesota. We start the process as soon as we see the first Japanese beetle in June and continue until we see no more beetles. Japanese beetles made their first known appearance in the United States in 1916, in Riverton, New Jersey. Preventative insecticides are another effective management option that is typically preferred over curative insecticides due to greater level of control and a larger application window of time, May to July, due to their longer residual activity. Control options for each life stage are presented below. Shortly after, they will return to feeding and mating and start the cycle all over again. We do a final collection about 7 PM and see many beetles still feeding and mating. Bonide’s “Eight” insecticide spray kills virtually every garden insect on ornamentals, edibles and houseplants, including Japanese Beetles, and it’s available in a concentrate. Females leave ornamental plants where they feed and mate, and burrow two to four inches into the soil (under the turf and in mulched areas) in a suitable area to lay their eggs. The reason so many Japanese beetles can thrive and do damage in the United States is because of a combination of factors: the absence of natural predators and the amount of matter for them to feed on. Put another way, they do more harm than good. There are many different sorts of white grubs that live under our lawns. From what I understand they start as grubs in the yard then come out in June as beetles. By the end of th… One particularly terrible year saw 44 deaths and 1,675 injuries from giant hornets. Red and confused flour beetles are capable of breeding year-round in heated buildings. Newly hatched larvae are approximately 1∕8 inch long and a translucent, creamy white. Eggs hatch in about two weeks, after which grubs begin feeding on the roots of turfgrass and ornamental plants. The adult beetles are skeletonizers, meaning they eat the leaf tissue between the leaf veins but leave the veins behind. The grubs will remain in the soil for about 10 months, overwintering and growing in the soil. So I guess the thing to do would try and kill the grubs in the ground before they lay eggs. The threat of the red flour beetle invading from an outside food source, such as grain spillage, must therefore be considered. This cycle of feeding, mating and egg laying continues until the female has laid 40 to 60 eggs. Connect with your County Extension Office », Find an Extension employee in our staff directory », Get the latest news and updates on Extension's work around the state, Feedback, questions or accessibility issues: info@extension.wisc.edu | © 2020 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System Privacy Policy | Non-Discrimination Policy | Discrimination and Harassment Complaints | Disability Accommodation Requests | Civil Rights. This often leads to brown spots of dead or dying grass in lawns—a tell-tale sign of a Japanese beetle larvae infestation. Newly emerged females release a sex pheromone which attracts males. If the thrill of the hunt pales for you after a few days, you can bet that children can be hired to do the work for you. This is especially true along golf course fairways. COLOR: Reddish-brown. The life cycle of this pest takes about a year to complete so the beetles that eat your leaves this summer, were eggs nearly a year earlier. There are many good all-purpose sprays that kill Japanese beetles and also help with other insects and diseases. But with this year’s weather patterns, the product is more appealing to the insect. Japanese beetle quarantines are currently operated by the USDA-APHIS in states involved with shipping materials out of an infested area into uninfested areas. Adult beetles are most active in the afternoon in full-sun. A: Japanese beetles are scarab beetles, a family of beetles that tends to appear in early June and last a couple months. They come every year around here. For optimal control, apply in the afternoon when beetles are most active. Often the upper canopy is defoliated first or most severely. Products containing imidacloprid or thiamethoxam are effective when applied from June through August. BEHAVIOR: The red and confused flour beetles are nearly identical in biology and habits except that the red flour beetle flies and the confused flour beetle does not. The life stages of the Japanese beetle are typical of white grubs. By mid August, she’ll lay a … Photo by Fred Baxendale. If you have a disability and experience difficulty accessing this content request accommodation here. However, Japanese beetle adults are capable of migrating from other areas, and the presence of beetles on or near a plant will attract more beetles. The bacterial milky diseases, Paenibacilus popilliae Dutky and B. lentimorbus Dutky, have infected white grubs in certain areas of the eastern United States. Grubs overwinter in the soil about two to six inches below the surface, although some may be a deep as 20 inches. Odors that are released by the damaged leaves attract additional adults to gather in masses on the unfortunate plants first selected. The pre-pupa voids its gut contents creating a translucent appearance. Japanese beetle grubs feed below ground and chew on the roots of turf and ornamentals. CFAES provides research and related educational programs to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis. Phone: 614-292-6181, © 2020 | 2120 Fyffe Road | Room 3 Ag Admin Bldg. I’m going to try my hand at a folk remedy for Japanese beetles this year (they just woke up… right around July 4th as predicted), and make some delphinium water to spray on my bean greens :) Adult females instinctively lay their eggs in areas with higher soil moisture content to ensure survival of their offspring. Norway and Japanese maple, birch, crabapple, purple-leaf plum, rose, mountain ash, and linden are highly preferred ornamental hosts. Item number:  XHT1062. Chemical Control of Grubs:  Nearly all soil insecticides provide adequate control of Japanese beetle grubs. If the soil begins to cool further, the grubs may dig deeper. Japanese beetles invade my landscape every year, making it difficult to enjoy many of my favorite plants. The U.S., especially the areas in the eastern part of the country, has plenty of grass and crops for beetles … Unfortunately, these parasites do not seem to be reliable in reducing Japanese beetle populations below damaging levels. The grubs grow quickly, and by late-August are nearly full-grown (about one inch long). Preparations containing Heterorhabditis spp. The insect’s spread is apparently governed by temperature and precipitation. Once I spot the first one of the year, the battle’s on! As grubs develop further and feeding increases, damaged areas rapidly enlarge and coalesce (merge) to a point where the turf is not well-anchored and can be rolled back like carpet. The first evidence of grub injury in turf is the development of localized-patches of pale, dying grass that displays symptoms of drought stress. 2120 Fyffe Road | Room 3 Ag Admin Bldg. Accessibility Accommodation. There are six pairs of patches of white hairs along the sides and back of the body, under the edges of the wings. The Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica, is generally found east of a line running from Michigan, southern Wisconsin and Illinois, south to Alabama. Often, airports and rail yards are under quarantine and transporters must treat their containers before shipping. Japanese beetle grubs are C-shaped and about 1 ¼ inch long. Q: What are Japanese beetles? All can be called “June bugs,” but each species is different and causes different degrees of damage. What They Destroy The spore count must build up for 2 to 3 years to achieve maximum levels. While it's hard to pin down the exact number of deaths caused by the Japanese hornet, officials say that 20 – 40 people are killed by giant hornets every year, including the Japanese species. Check out this guide of Japanese beetle facts and solutions to keep them out of your yard. They have coppery-brown wing covers that do not entirely cover the abdomen. Irrigation before and after nematode application with 1/4 inch of water minimum greatly increases the efficacy of the nematodes. 4. Japanese beetle life cycle (redrawn from USDA). Several insecticides have residues that can remain active for weeks to months in the soil-thatch interface. As a result, they reduce a plant’s ability to take up enough water and nutrients to withstand stresses of hot, dry weather. The traditional approach has been to apply short-residual products after eggs have hatched, but before grubs cause visible damage. Egg development takes approximately 8 to 9 days at 80°F to 90°F but may take as long as 30 days at lower temperatures. It has attractive looks, however, with bronze wing shields and metallic green thorax. However, if natural rainfall occurs, this tactic will not work. We most definitely DO have Japanese beetles here in Colorado (have for probably 5+ years now), especially in my particular neighborhood of suburban Denver. Always follow label directions. For an accessible format of this publication, visit cfaes.osu.edu/accessibility. Products that contain chlorantraniliprole can be applied from early April through July to control Japanese beetle grubs that start feeding in mid-July to late July. The immature stage of the Japanese beetle – the white grub – typically has a three year life cycle. What do Japanese Beetles Like to Eat? We connect with people in all stages of life, from young children to older adults. Physical removal and trapping of adults:  Removing beetles by hand, or trapping, may provide adequate protection for small plantings when beetle numbers are low. Japanese beetles are 3/8" (8-11 mm) long and ¼" (5-7 mm) wide, brilliant metallic green insects with copper-brown wings whose hard body makes them unpalatable to many predators, including birds. On warm sunny days the new beetles crawl onto low growing plants and warm for a while before taking flight. The Japanese beetle is a serious agricultural pest. They usually arrive mid to late June and stay through mid to late August. Isolated, damaging populations of grubs are occasionally found west of this line, usually in high-quality urban turf. The first beetles out of the ground seek out suitable food plants and begin to feed immediately. Bacillus thuriengensis (Bt) strains that are active against beetles have been shown to provide effective grub suppression against Japanese beetles and masked chafers when applied during the summer months. The do japanese beetles come every year segments grubs that live under our lawns many good all-purpose sprays kill. 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