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| Japanese Beetle adult (Notice the coloring) |
Pictured is a Japanese Beetle adult (Popillia japonica). These beetles can be a problem in large numbers. They feed on plant leaves and fruit. On golf courses, home lawns and other turf areas the larval stage or grub stage can also destroy turf areas. This time of year these adult beetles are flying around, feeding and mating. The female will lay as many as 40-60 eggs during this cycle. Once the eggs hatch the larvae will start to feed on grass roots. Symptoms can be brown turf areas that looks like drought stress. You may also see digging from animals like raccoons, skunks and opossum. I have also even witnessed a murder of crows tear up turf to feed on the white grubs.
You can spray susceptible plants with pesticides like Sevin®. As with any pesticide, it is your responsibility to read and understand the pesticide label. They also sell traps that are designed to attract the adult beetles. The problems with the traps is they can attract more beetles than they will actually trap. I would not recommend this method for small yards with a lot of susceptible plants. Your local home and garden center will have the appropriate products available for the stage in which this insect is causing problems.
