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By Mary Beth Breckenridge
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 12:30 p.m. EDT, Jul 13, 2009
Are Japanese beetles turning your leaves to lace?
You're not alone.
The voracious insects are attacking some Northern Ohio neighborhoods en masse this year, due in part to the weather last July, when their parents were out making whoopee.
The beetles like to lay their eggs in soil with the right amount of moisture, explained David J. Shetlar, an entomologist at Ohio State University in Columbus. In mid-July last year, the northern third of Ohio had heavy rain that made for ideal egg-laying conditions in some areas, followed a couple of weeks later with enough additional rain to keep the soil sufficiently moist for those eggs to develop, he said.
Now those eggs are all grown up, and they're feasting on plants with abandon.
But only in some areas.
That's the thing about Japanese beetles: They reproduce where the conditions are best in a particular year. When the insects mature the following year, that selectivity can result in infestations that are heavy in one neighborhood and nonexistent in another down the road.
In a wet year, the beetles will lay their eggs on higher ground, where the soil drains better, Shetlar said. Conversely, they'll seek low ground in a dry year.
The amount of organic matter that's available in the soil to feed their grub babies — the beetle larvae — also plays a deciding factor. Shetlar said beetles seek out healthy, well-fed lawns where grass roots and other organic matter are abundant for their grubs to feast on.
Japanese beetles prefer acidic soil, so the pH level can also play a role. So can watering a lawn. A beetle ''can detect the difference between a brown lawn and a green lawn, and guess which one it's gonna go to?'' Shetlar said.
The one factor that doesn't seem to matter is whether you treated for grubs in your lawn the previous year. Typically only some of the lawns in a neighborhood are treated, and beetles born in your neighbors' untreated yards can easily fly to yours, Shetlar said.
For the same reason, controlling the adult beetles won't necessarily prevent grubs next year.
If you're inundated now, he recommended using an insecticide to kill the beetles. He said research has shown one of the most effective products is Neem-Away, an organic insect spray sold by the mail-order company Gardens Alive! (http://www.gardensalive.com or 513-354-1482). Other effective insecticides are those containing bifenthrin, which yields fast results but works for only 10 to 14 days and therefore may need to be reapplied, and those containing imidacloprid, which works as long as 25 to 30 days.
Steer clear of beetle traps, he said. They just invite trouble.
Traps attract Japanese beetles from a quarter-mile away and can hold only a tiny fraction of the beetles that populate such a large area. Research has shown that ornamental plants within 20 to 30 feet of a trap will suffer more damage than if the trap weren't there, he said.
The Ohio State University Extension has a fact sheet containing more information on Japanese beetles. It can be found online at http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2001.html.
Mary Beth Breckenridge can be reached at 330-996-3756 or mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com.
Are Japanese beetles turning your leaves to lace?
You're not alone.
The voracious insects are attacking some Northern Ohio neighborhoods en masse this year, due in part to the weather last July, when their parents were out making whoopee.
The beetles like to lay their eggs in soil with the right amount of moisture, explained David J. Shetlar, an entomologist at Ohio State University in Columbus. In mid-July last year, the northern third of Ohio had heavy rain that made for ideal egg-laying conditions in some areas, followed a couple of weeks later with enough additional rain to keep the soil sufficiently moist for those eggs to develop, he said.
Now those eggs are all grown up, and they're feasting on plants with abandon.
But only in some areas.
That's the thing about Japanese beetles: They reproduce where the conditions are best in a particular year. When the insects mature the following year, that selectivity can result in infestations that are heavy in one neighborhood and nonexistent in another down the road.
In a wet year, the beetles will lay their eggs on higher ground, where the soil drains better, Shetlar said. Conversely, they'll seek low ground in a dry year.
The amount of organic matter that's available in the soil to feed their grub babies — the beetle larvae — also plays a deciding factor. Shetlar said beetles seek out healthy, well-fed lawns where grass roots and other organic matter are abundant for their grubs to feast on.
Japanese beetles prefer acidic soil, so the pH level can also play a role. So can watering a lawn. A beetle ''can detect the difference between a brown lawn and a green lawn, and guess which one it's gonna go to?'' Shetlar said.
The one factor that doesn't seem to matter is whether you treated for grubs in your lawn the previous year. Typically only some of the lawns in a neighborhood are treated, and beetles born in your neighbors' untreated yards can easily fly to yours, Shetlar said.
For the same reason, controlling the adult beetles won't necessarily prevent grubs next year.
If you're inundated now, he recommended using an insecticide to kill the beetles. He said research has shown one of the most effective products is Neem-Away, an organic insect spray sold by the mail-order company Gardens Alive! (http://www.gardensalive.com or 513-354-1482). Other effective insecticides are those containing bifenthrin, which yields fast results but works for only 10 to 14 days and therefore may need to be reapplied, and those containing imidacloprid, which works as long as 25 to 30 days.
Steer clear of beetle traps, he said. They just invite trouble.
Traps attract Japanese beetles from a quarter-mile away and can hold only a tiny fraction of the beetles that populate such a large area. Research has shown that ornamental plants within 20 to 30 feet of a trap will suffer more damage than if the trap weren't there, he said.
The Ohio State University Extension has a fact sheet containing more information on Japanese beetles. It can be found online at http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2001.html.
Mary Beth Breckenridge can be reached at 330-996-3756 or mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
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Canton, OH
Posted 12:55 PM, 07/13/2009
Almost like the Beatles Invasion in the early ' 60's. .
Akron, Oh
Posted 12:56 PM, 07/13/2009
After reading this article I went to the website listed and looked for the product Neem-Away. It is not listed. I will check locally to see if any garden center has it.
North Canton, OH
Posted 01:18 PM, 07/13/2009
Down in North Canton, They were brutal to trees and flowers, this year, not as many, they seem to be bad every three years, I am flooding the yard with grub killer granuals to kill off the grubs from last year regardless.
Posted 05:20 PM, 07/13/2009
Darn Japs... Don't get a bug catcher, it will only attract more.
Akron, OH
Posted 09:12 PM, 07/13/2009
Milky Spore will keep them away for 2-3 years, it kills the larvae, also Sevin spray......trust me, where I work and sell it,,,,the bags are worthless
AKRON, OH
Posted 12:19 PM, 07/14/2009
The year I tried the bug bag, I got a severe infestation of grubs and after hundreds of dollars of grub killer, the are back and I am nervous...please dont use the bags!! I think the beetle bag makers are in a conspiracy with grub-ex..:)
Posted 11:48 PM, 07/14/2009
your doing it wrong....
Beetle bags are great but place them downwind of your plants you want to protect. And place them far away from your plants and yes use them in conjunction with the grub killers. Its a two shot whammy. If you have a large drive place the beetle bag on cement in the center.
Its a sex lure so yes it will drive them nuts and there will be a japanese beetle #*(@* fest in the area. And yes you are helping your neighbor by getting rid of his japanese beetles also...
Posted 12:03 AM, 07/15/2009
http://household-tips.thefuntimesguide.com/2005/07/bagabugbeetles.php
Another thing to do is place the lure over a large wide wash bucket of soapy water. The beetles will get in and youll catch even more that the lure doesnt get. Your basically double trapping the o rg y...
Place the lure away from grass and away from your plants you like.
