Japanese Beetles
This is the time of the year our phones will start ringing with callers panicked about their ornamental plants. Adult Japanese beetles in Missouri emerge in late June/early July and feed on select foliage. Often, the homeowner doesn’t notice until their plants are bare – a condition known as skeletonized – after the beetles consume the soft parts of the leaves. Bug Zero encourages you to keep a close watch on your ornamental plants and trees for the next several weeks so that you can identify beetle activity before the damage is terribly severe.
Appearance
These pests may be more prone to catching your eye with their shiny, metallic bodies. Adult Japanese beetles are green and copper in color and measure about 1/3” to 1/2” long. Their eggs are a creamy white color and oval-shaped.
Preferred Plants
When it comes to plants, some are more susceptible to destruction than others. Here are a few popular ones:
-American linden trees
-Apple trees
-Birch trees
-Hibiscus plants
-Japanese maples
-Pin oaks
-Roses
-Norway maples
Treatment
At this stage, the best treatment is foliar application of liquid insecticide to kill the adult beetles. A better long-term solution is to drench the soil well ahead of time so that insecticide can be taken up by the plant. The product is then in the sap of the plant where it goes to work on the beetles as soon as they begin to feed. Bug Zero is equipped to handle either situation. Contact us for your pest control options.
CAPE AREA: CALL OR TEXT 573-803-7828
SPRINGFIELD AREA: CALL OR TEXT 417-831-7378