Your guide to Japanese beetles
Have the dreaded Japanese beetles invaded your garden yet? You can save your plants from these pests! We'll show you how. It starts with identifying the beetle and its young.
The dreaded Japanese beetle
One day your zinnias will be colorful and bright. Next, you notice the bitten and torn petals. Upon closer inspection, iridescent green bugs like the one in the photo above can be found tucked underneath the flowers. Japanese beetles (Popplia japonica) have discovered your garden! This insect operates throughout North America. So even if you don't think they're in your area, it's smart to be on the lookout.
Where Japanese beetles have been around for years, natural predators help keep them under control. But in areas where they have just arrived, these insects can be volatile feeding machines. It's time to prepare your defenses before they devour your garden! Keep scrolling to learn more about the life cycle of beetles, the plants they like, and ways to control them.
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Japanese beetle life cycle
Japanese beetles are not easy to spot at first. This is because most of its life cycle takes place underground. After the eggs hatch in the summer, they feed on roots until the next summer, when they emerge as shiny beetles. Here are the stages of the Japanese beetle's life cycle.
1) Groups emerge
After wintering deep in the soil, the pre-summer emergence emerges in late spring to the surface to feed on roots. This is a good time to apply pesticides.
2) Be ready for change
In late spring, the grub forms a pupa 1 to 3 inches deep in the soil. In a few weeks, the adults hatch and crawl to the surface.
3) Search for food and mate
Adults feed on flowers and foliage in mid-summer. They emit pheromones or odors that attract other Japanese beetles for mating.
4) Lots of eggs
After mating, females burrow 2 to 4 inches into the soil to lay 1 to 5 eggs. They then return to plants to feed and mate. This cycle continues during the summer heat with 40 to 60 eggs.
5) Hungry grubs
The eggs hatch in 8 to 14 days, and the young feed on roots and other organic matter. As they grow, they shed their skin several times. Pull the lawn in late summer. If you see grubs like the ones in this photo below, it's a good time to work on control.
6) Go back to sleep
As fall temperatures drop, the 1-inch-long, fat worms burrow 6 to 18 inches into the soil and overwinter.
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Japanese beetle grub damage and control
In spring and late summer, the larva or grub, just as destructive as the adult, will find the roots of your turf a perfect meal. Without a full root system, grass struggles to collect enough water to survive. One of the best ways to determine grub activity is shown in the photo above. If you can easily pull up the floor like a rug and find grubs underneath, it's time to control it.
When to Use Control for Japanese Beetle Chicks
Late spring to early fall, which coincides with the times when grubs are near the soil surface, is the best time to apply control. If you prefer a chemical, look for a spray or granular product with imidacloprid or halofenozide.
Organic grub control
Milky spore, a bacteria that you mix with water and spray on lawns, has killed worms in some areas. However, studies on how effective it actually is in all areas are yet to emerge. If you want to try milkweed, many garden centers carry it or you can buy it online.
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How to deal with adult Japanese beetles
In summer, the adults hatch, emerge from the soil, feed, and begin mating. A multi-pronged approach is your best bet for controlling Japanese beetles. Start by spraying infected plants with a pyrethrin-based insecticide or neem oil.
Pyrethrin is a safe and effective way to control these nasty pests on raspberries, grapes, flowers, and vegetables.
Neem oil is obtained from a tree and it reduces feeding by beetles (it is called an antifeedant). Neem oil applications work best if started at the first sign of an attack.
Hand taking
Lucky for us, Japanese beetles are slow-moving. Early morning, when they are still sluggish and less alert from the cold night temperatures, is a good time to pluck or shake the beetles off the plants. You can crush them or leave them in warm soapy water.
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Japanese beetle traps
Not ready to switch plants? There are traps that attract adult beetles. Japanese beetle traps, like the one in the photo above, have their good points, but the cons may outweigh the pros. They are baited with floral scents and sex pheromones to attract Japanese beetles. The bait is so attractive that it tends to draw beetles from 1,000 feet away. Instead of solving the problem, a trap can make it worse if you can't keep it far away from what you don't want the beetles to eat...
Systemic insecticides
Systemic insecticides such as imidacloprid or thiamethoxam are absorbed into the plant and provide long-term protection to ornamentals. Insecticides such as Carbaryl, sold as Sevin®, can be applied as a spray or dust. They stick only to the surface of the flower or leaf and need to be applied frequently.
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