Japanese Beetle is making its presence known in turf areas and on shrubs and trees alike.

The extreme temperature has taken a toll on many of our lawns. Large brown patches from the intense sun are made worse by a very unwelcome pest. The Japanese Beetle is making its presence known in turf areas, and on shrubs and trees alike. In the larval stage, Japanese Beetle will feed on grass, shrub and tree roots. The larva, or grubs, will spend about 9 to 10 months in the soil feeding on roots. Adults are seen in late June through August. The adults feed on over 300 species of plants.

Controls can be applied to both the turf area as well as the foliage of trees and shrubs. A combination of control strategies is recommended when populations reach high levels. We have a variety of treatments available including natural controls of Milky Spore and biological controls of an antagonistic bacterium. Traditional synthetic insecticides are an important part of the success of a Japanese Beetle control program.

The Japanese beetle is often considered an attractive insect. It is generally metallic green with coppery-brown wing covers, which do not quite cover the tip of the abdomen. Along the sides are five patches of whitish hairs. The adult beetle has an oval form and ranges from 8 to 12 mm in length (about 1/3 of an inch).Typical of other scarab beetles, the antennae are clubbed at the end and may spread to a fan-like form. Adults feed on the leaves and flowers of many plants including roses, beans, grapes, and crabapples. Feeding injuries to leaves usually result in conspicuous ‘skeletonizing injuries’ where larger veins are avoided, leaving a lacy “skeleton” of the leaf. Currently the Colorado Department of Agriculture is collecting information on the population size and range in Colorado. Please contact your Arborist if you think you have Japanese Beetles visiting your property.

We can help you with your Japanese Beetle damage, click here to send us an estimate request, or call us at 303.232.0666.