Japanese beetles are very common in the Rockford, IL area. They enjoy feasting on a wide variety of plants. The shiny metallic green backs and copper-colored wings are striking in appearance. But the damage they cause to plants is not.
If you’d like to control the onslaught of beetles this year and protect your plants as much as possible, we have a couple suggestions.
The Adult Life Cycle of Japanese Beetles
Japanese beetles have an annual life-cycle and spend most of their life as a grub beneath the ground. In our area they will begin to emerge as adult beetles around early July. That’s when the eating of plant leaves begins.
They primarily feast during the day, and hide in the soil at night and on cold, wet days. Their adult lifespan is 4 to 6 weeks.
Controlling Japanese Beetles
If Japanese Beetles are damaging your flowers, plants or vegetables, we recommend spraying the insecticide Sevin® every 7 – 10 days.
Sevin® is a broad spectrum product that will deter a wide variety of bugs. It can be used on vegetables and fruits. It’s also easy to find at any garden supply store.
If you are looking for a strictly organic method, you may try physically removing the japanese beetles as soon as you notice them. One method is knocking the beetles into a bucket of soapy water. Or spray them directly with an insecticidal soap.
Especially if you catch the first few beetles of the season, you may prevent the female pheromones from attracting more beetles.
You can read more about Japanese Beetles and managing them here.
If you’d like help designing a landscape around your home or garden, please contact M2 Landscaping.