Japanese Beetles

As we go further into the summer, a common pests that will begin to appear is Japanese Beetles! Here is some information about them and treatments that can make dealing with them easier!

About Japanese Beetles

Japanese beetles commonly live east of the Rockies and in the midwest of the United States and are a highly invasive species that live outside on any foliage, leaves, and trees. They have a 12 month life cycle, and in summer when they are primarily seen, they will invade many plants and trees around your home. They are a shiny-metallic green, with copper brown wings and about ⅜ inches long. With this appearance, many people like to leave them alone, underestimating the damage that they actually cause.

Japanese beetles feed on over 300 plant species, and are most attracted to any fruit and vegetable plant as well as rose bushes is where many people have trouble with them. They feed on them, and cause significant damage to the point where the source can end up dying. Even if the life span of the plant is not ruined, the appearance takes a significant hit, like leaving holes all over a blooming plant or dead patches of grass.

Life Cycles

• Larvae hatched - Japanese beetles lay newly hatched larvae in August, and stay underground for the duration of winter. A female Japanese beetle will lay 1-5 eggs in a spot of their choice, and lay them 2-4 inches underground where they can absorb moisture. They proceed to feed on roots until late spring and weather dependent, around June is when they emerge from the ground as adult beetles.
• Adult beetles leaving underground - Japanese beetles begin to emerge from the ground around late June - early July. When they emerge from the ground, they release pheromones, which are a chemical substance that is used to communicate with other beetles to attract them when they are also emerging from the ground.
• Feeding season - Mid to late July, is when Japanese beetle feeding is significant. This is when they begin to cause damage to plants, as they primarily feed on the roots of plants as well as the veins on leaves. This damage begins from the moment they hatch and burrow underground, which is why taking action for them is so important for protecting your plants. After this month, they start the process all over again, to prepare for the next season of their life cycles.

Treatment

As a pest control company, we looked into and tried so many different treatment methods, specifically for Japanese Beetles. We understand the difficult process it can be dealing with this specific bug, which is why we have created a new service specifically for Japanese Beetles!

• Specialty service vs Regular spray - Our regular maintenance program is not effective towards Japanese Beetles, which is why we have a Japanese Beetle specialty service. They are a problem down to the root. With our specialty service, we use a product that is a systemic and applied at the base of foliage which is aimed towards the root. We even include service for the early times in which before they fully emerge from underground, as targeting them during the beginning of their life cycle is important. This service has made a much significant effect throughout the season, and has customers feeling much more protected with their yard and gardens!
• Ways to protect flowering/edible plants - We have many customers, and even employees, who LOVE to garden. As a company, we fully endorse being mindful of taking care of any flowering or edible plants. With our new service, a different method we use is, we can actually treat flowering trees or plants at only the base. We continue to not treat any edible plants, but we do have a few suggestions that could help! If interested, please read our Organic Pest Control For Your Garden blog, which has many different and helpful ways to protect your garden!

If you are interested in hearing more about our Japanese Beetle service, or any information about our services, please contact our office at (844) 922-7732