Japanese Beetles

[GrimLore]

On top of overgrown and neglected landscape our new property came with another "bonus" - Japanese Beetles! In the short term I am just killing then by the dozens but was wondering what people has found to work for the long term. Man - they make a plant look like crap FAST

Grimmy

 

[Poink88]

This might help.

https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/control-japanese-beetles/5163.html

 

[M. Frary]

We have these beetles called rose chafers. I don't know how closely related they are to the Japanese beetles but they can defoliate a tree fast. At the first sign of them I spray everything even landscape trees with Bayer 3 in 1. It works.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

My first thought was the Japanese Beatles
Anyhow Neem oil works against these beetles.

 

[JudyB]

The lure traps are a mixed bag for success. If you have the beetles already, sometimes it can drive them to the trap. If you don't have them, or not too many, it can lure them to your property. I don't use them.
We have on and off years of them, this year is bad. Best thing you can do is be vigilant, and if you get your timing right and are lucky, and you smash the first arrivals, then the rest will pass you by. They are attracted to each other by scent to mate. That's what's in the lure.

I was lucky in the garden and went out on the right morning, there were a couple dozen eating my bean crop and mating, having a right old party. I smashed a bunch of them and chased the rest off, they are gone now. But like I said they are not bad every year. And from what I have heard if you use milky spore (I think) for grubs, (that's their larvae) then you will have better luck. But they will come from surrounding properties, so even if you do that, you may get them.

 

[Dav4]

Japanese beetles were the scourge of my garden when I lived in the northeast...not so much down in GA. Some summers, we were lucky to have a few orb weaver spiders hang out in the asparagus patch or in the shrubs around the house...I'd feed beetles to them every day...fun!

 

[JudyB]

Yeah orb spinners are great, just have to watch out when mowing between the pines, or before you know it you have a face full of orb spinner....
Nice pic!

 

[lordy]

I found out that you can be proactive by not letting grubs grow in your grass. Nematodes released into the grass can help by eating the grubs (I think). It might also help with brown patches in your lawn.

 

[cmeg1]

If you can keep you prized trees under any kind of structure such as netting or a piece of clear polycarbonate ,such as what I have on my table.
The beetles want and need to be available to other beetles and anything that hinders other beetles from finding them will be effective.They mostly aim for stuff that is in the open and simple to get to.I only get a few under my polycarbonate once in a while.Lose just a few leaves.If you hinder then in any way they will go for that rose bush out in the open.

 

[suzmyers]

I have about 50 bonsai trees on my deck and 2 days ago I went out to water (for the second time that day) and discovered Japanese Beetles had almost defoliated my only red Japanese maple. 95% of the leaves are just skeletons. The beetles have not attacked any other tree on my deck (knocking on wood) and I believe they attack only the weaker trees. The tree they attacked had been sitting in the hot sun for several days...my mistake...should have sheltered it from the hot sun. So, what do I do now? Would it hurt the tree further if I just removed all the eaten leaves and then allowed it to grow new ones? Or should I just leave it as it is? I've never had the problem before (and hope to never have it again).

 

[JudyB]

I have about 50 bonsai trees on my deck and 2 days ago I went out to water (for the second time that day) and discovered Japanese Beetles had almost defoliated my only red Japanese maple. 95% of the leaves are just skeletons. The beetles have not attacked any other tree on my deck (knocking on wood) and I believe they attack only the weaker trees. The tree they attacked had been sitting in the hot sun for several days...my mistake...should have sheltered it from the hot sun. So, what do I do now? Would it hurt the tree further if I just removed all the eaten leaves and then allowed it to grow new ones? Or should I just leave it as it is? I've never had the problem before (and hope to never have it again).

Just treat it like a defoliation of your maple, at least the timing is decent.

 

[suzmyers]

Thanks Judy, haven't ever defoliated it before...will see how it does.

 

[qwade]

there were a couple dozen eating my bean crop and mating

Yes them guys love my Pole Beans. They are cyclical. Haven't seen any this year so far. . I use soapy water to kill them. Dr. Bonners peppermint, to be exact. About a teaspoon in a quart spray bottle. Spray them once and they drop. Unfortunately, you can't sit there all day squirting beetles.Last year they ate by bean leaves down to skeletons. Still got a nice harvest of beans. Never bothered my trees.

 

[discusmike]

I have roses,the smell attracts them,luckily they bypass my trees most of the time,I also have chickens that love to eat them.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Thanks Judy, haven't ever defoliated it before...will see how it does.

Next time use scissors.
Good luck, it should pop back quickly. Just watch the water for a while. It won't be as thirsty until leaves reappear.

 

[JoeR]

These things have nearly defoliated all of my fruit trees. I sprayed them with something that was an all in one that claimed it would kill them... It did not. It says to only apply twice a year so I havent applied again.

I need them dead, fast!

 

[coh]

I've heard from many that milky spore applied to your lawn areas will eventually cut the beetles way back. Traps, as Judy notes, can work too well and attract more beetles into the area.

We get swarms of these beetles each year and so far, I've found that they mostly stay away from the bonsai. They gorge on porcelain berry vine and raspberries that we have in the yard, but those are very tough, vigorous plants. The leaves won't look good but the plants don't seem to notice.

That may be the key (or a key), having enough other stuff around that so that they'll stay away from the bonsai.

 

[suzmyers]

They seem to be cyclical here, too. They have never bothered my bonsai before, but I think my tree was stressed from all the heat and sun we've had here for the last couple of weeks. I normally keep my JM on the shadier part of the deck, but we took down one of our big trees last fall and I forgot about the JM. So the Japanese beetles seem to make a bee line for this tree (and only this tree). Hopefully it will recover from the mistreatment and defoliation. And I will watch the watering..thanks for the reminder.

 

[sikadelic]

This is the first year I have seen them on my trees since moving to Indiana. In SC I had very little pest problems but my trees have been getting chewed up lately. I think I will give that Bayer 3 in 1 a go.

 

[jk_lewis]

The seem to like Crape Myrtle. I just let them chew for the short time they're around; they are fairly impervious to pesticides, and the stink when you crush them in your fingers. Once they slow down, I defoiliate the crape myrtle.

Just remember, they just make ugly leaves; they've never killed anything.