Anyone else seeing these little critters skeletonizing leaves off their trees? Not only that but they leave a little pile of crap. These beetles are green with bronze colored wings. Any entomologists suggestions on what to do? Thanks!!
Japanese Beetles
- Thread starter cycloner29
- Start date
Yeah, they love my cherry tree. Sprayed them ortho, but they were back the next day.
I spoke to the ISU extension entomologist today as I have discovered jap beetles all over. He recommended that you DO NOT put traps up as they attract beetles from all over and you will be overwhelmed with them. He recommended Sevin sprayed often or you can hand pick 'em and throw them in a bucket of soapy water.
DO NOT BUY THE TRAPS.
Spray Permethrin on affected plants/trees once per week. It will take a couple treatments, but they will stay away if you keep it up. Also remove what you can with your hands a couple times a day until the insectiside takes effect.
Others will say to use Sevin, but that crap is pretty toxic.
Spray Permethrin on affected plants/trees once per week. It will take a couple treatments, but they will stay away if you keep it up. Also remove what you can with your hands a couple times a day until the insectiside takes effect.
Others will say to use Sevin, but that crap is pretty toxic.
The Bayer stuff seems to kill them and keep them away better than the other stuff I've tried. Looks like it's the same thing as Sevin. I have five trees/plants they love to eat, and they are a huge problem if I don't take care of them.
EDIT: I've actually been using Bayer Rose & Flower Insect Killer, which does not contain the same ingredient as Sevin. It is not supposed to be used on edible plants, however. I'll probably give permethrin a try since it can be used on edible vegetation.
EDIT: I've actually been using Bayer Rose & Flower Insect Killer, which does not contain the same ingredient as Sevin. It is not supposed to be used on edible plants, however. I'll probably give permethrin a try since it can be used on edible vegetation.
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Entomologist here.
Right on bro - TRAPS ARE BAD. Neighbor wars have actually broke out over the use of the traps. One neighbor loves looking at all the dead beetles in the traps while the surrounding neighbors end up with more beetles than before because the traps lure in more than they catch.
This short, but to the point, article from ISU is from 2008, but the control recommendations are still current - Japanese Beetle | Iowa Insect Information Notes. I know crops are being sprayed for them right now, especially high-value seed production.
Here's the current map of where JB is known to be in Iowa (53 counties), a compilation of data from ISU and the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship - Japanese beetle distribution, 2010 | Horticulture and Home Pest News. We keep track of this because if nursery stock is raised in an infested county, the produce has to go through extra steps before it can be exported to states to the west.
The USDA actually regulates airports for JB, as they manage to clumsily fly into planes (especially cargo) and quickly move across the county. So, BMPs are used to reduce the number of incidental flyers.
Each year the number of calls on JB is increasing. People are always asking what they can plant that the JB won't eat ... ahhh, good luck with that. Generally speaking, it I want to see if they're in an area, I find a linden tree or roses and check them first. Kentucky has a good table of preferred host plants at Japanese Beetles in the Urban Landscape | University of Kentucky Entomology.
And I can't help but add that this guy landed in the US in 1916, from our friends in Japan. And just like our other green friend, the emerald ash borer, it wasn't really a problem in its native land, but is a big problem here.
:sad:
Just once, I wish we could accidently import something that eats mulberry ... no luck.
Right on bro - TRAPS ARE BAD. Neighbor wars have actually broke out over the use of the traps. One neighbor loves looking at all the dead beetles in the traps while the surrounding neighbors end up with more beetles than before because the traps lure in more than they catch.
This short, but to the point, article from ISU is from 2008, but the control recommendations are still current - Japanese Beetle | Iowa Insect Information Notes. I know crops are being sprayed for them right now, especially high-value seed production.
Here's the current map of where JB is known to be in Iowa (53 counties), a compilation of data from ISU and the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship - Japanese beetle distribution, 2010 | Horticulture and Home Pest News. We keep track of this because if nursery stock is raised in an infested county, the produce has to go through extra steps before it can be exported to states to the west.
The USDA actually regulates airports for JB, as they manage to clumsily fly into planes (especially cargo) and quickly move across the county. So, BMPs are used to reduce the number of incidental flyers.
Each year the number of calls on JB is increasing. People are always asking what they can plant that the JB won't eat ... ahhh, good luck with that. Generally speaking, it I want to see if they're in an area, I find a linden tree or roses and check them first. Kentucky has a good table of preferred host plants at Japanese Beetles in the Urban Landscape | University of Kentucky Entomology.
And I can't help but add that this guy landed in the US in 1916, from our friends in Japan. And just like our other green friend, the emerald ash borer, it wasn't really a problem in its native land, but is a big problem here.
:sad:
Just once, I wish we could accidently import something that eats mulberry ... no luck.
I'd need a crop duster to spray my 60' trees. Just checked our trampoline and it is covered crap after i cleaned it off last night.I suppose all I can do is watch them eat leaves.
They aren't gonna kill a tree that is 60' so don't worry about that! It can be rather unsightly, but rarely does it kill the plant.
yes they went to town on about 15 of my rose bushes in the matter of 3 days... i had to spray them 3 times to get rid of them, but it worked... store bought spray worked just fine and the plants seem to be okay.
:twitcy:
Honestly though, I have also had no luck with those traps out at a cabin I have. Set some of those traps, came back about 3 weeks later to check on everything. It looked like they had multiplied like crazy. They were much worse than before. Luickly, they haven't been much of a problem so far this summer.
