Stage 4 Adult: June – August. If you’re troubled by this annoying pest, read on to learn how to get rid of it. These spores reproduce in the larvae’s gut and enter the blood, killing the larvae. In early spring larvae move up near the soil surface to feed on plant roots. This pest is considered to be an invasive species. Bacillus popillae, also known as Milky Spore, is a bacterium that is registered for Japanese Beetle larvae control. The Best Way to Get Rid Of Japanese Beetles When deciding on insecticides, consider that adult Japanese beetles are capable of covering long distances in search of food. By Christopher Cianci. Photograph by John A. Weidhass, Virginia Tech, www.forestryimages.org . Eggs are laid in soil amid the roots of grasses and hatching takes place within two weeks. Japanese beetles overwinter in the larval (grub) stage. Until that time, this insect was restricted to Japan where it is not a major pest.
The Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) is native to Japan, but has become common throughout much of the eastern U.S. since its accidental introduction in 1916.The adult beetles feed on the foliage, flowers, and/or fruit of more than 300 different plant species and are considered a major pest of many popular horticultural and agricultural plants. A number of pesticides are available for Japanese beetle treatment, but unfortunately, many of them are harmful to important pollinators like bees and other beneficial insects like ladybugs. Lawn control companies can identify these areas when performing inspections for Japanese beetle and Japanese beetle larvae infestations. Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica) were first found in the United States in 1916, after being accidentally introduced into New Jersey. These nematodes boast a deep-moving active-hunting with cruising characteristic which make them superior to many other species for grub control and Japanese beetles. Adult Japanese beetles emerge from the soil and begin feeding on many types of plants and ornamentals, leaving skeletonized leaves. These need to be sprayed directly on the beetles to work.
By late May pupation begins and adult beetles emerge towards the end of June, remaining active until September. The problem with beetles is that the mere presence of a beetle on a plant attracts even more beetles to the plant. The fly larvae (maggots) hatch within 24 hours and move inside the beetle's body to feed, ultimately killing the beetle by eating it from the inside out. It is now found throughout the eastern U.S., except for Florida, and continues to move westward. Japanese beetles love roses, grapes, lindens, sassafras, Japanese maple, and purple-leaf plums, so these plants should be avoided if Japanese beetle … A real nuisance in the garden, Japanese Beetles bothers many gardeners in the US, and it’s no wonder because the pest’s menu consists of about 300 common plant species. Heterorhabditis bacteriophora are the beneficial nematode of choice when your problems concern all types of grubs, Japanese beetle larvae and Japanese beetles. Grubs are easiest to control when they are young, so take preventative action in late spring through early summer. However, control of Japanese beetle larvae in a yard will have very little, if any, effect on the number of Japanese beetle adults feeding on trees, shrubs and garden plants. What Is The Japanese Beetle? Grubs can be found in nearby green grassy areas. Wasps that parasitize the larvae, flies that lay their eggs on adults and pathogens that infect larvae may also help keep Japanese beetle populations under control. Japanese beetles have a fairly impressive list of predators, and researchers are working hard to use predators as a method of control … About Japanese Beetles. As they get larger, it is more difficult to kill them and by fall it is no longer practical to manage them.
Known as “white grubs,” the recently hatched larvae of Japanese beetles grow in the soil for much of the winter. Early recognition of a grub problem can prevent this kind of damage to the lawn. Also, consider why you want to manage grubs. When spring arrives, these grubs are still too large to try to control. That is why if there are many beetles on the ground, it does not necessarily mean that the soil is infected with their larvae. The best time to treat Japanese beetle white grubs is July through mid-September when they are small or moderate-sized. How to Control and Eliminate the Japanese Beetle and White Grubs. The insect is highly mobile so that problems with adult beetles typically involve insects that have moved a considerable distance.