I didn’t know about Japanese beetles until I moved to the Southeast. As it turns out, the early summer heat makes Tennessee a literal hotspot for these pests. To my dismay and endless frustration, they made quick work of my rose bushes and feasted on the broccoli plants in my garden.
Present in every state east of the Mississippi except for Florida, the Japanese beetle is thought to havecome to the United States sometime around 1916.The beetle is under control in Japan because of its natural predators; however, here in the States, it is able to flourish as there are several hundred varieties of flowers, trees and plants that it will eat, making our yards, gardens, and orchards a veritable buffet.
Identification
The Japanese beetle is about ½ inch long and has a blue-black body with coppery wing covers. You’ll know if you have an infestation of them because the leaves of your plants and trees will begin to look like they are being turned into intricate latticework.
甲虫会吃掉除脊椎外的所有叶子,但却会有效地杀死你的花朵、水果和蔬菜。幸运的是,它们并不总是杀死树木和植物,但它们会破坏这个季节的树叶。
The life cycle of an adult Japanese beetle is surprisingly short, considering the damage they can do. They come out of the ground around mid-to-late June, when it begins to warm up (earlier in southern states), and live only about 30-45 days.
The beetles come out to feed, mate, lay eggs, and repeat that process as many times as possible until they die. Their eggs are planted into the soil, and they grow into grubs over the winter that hatch and mature, repeating the cycle.
Prevention
There are several natural ways to discourage Japanese beetles from taking up residence in your yard in the first place.
Floating Row Cover
Made out of white polyester spun bonded fabric,row covercan be draped and pinned down into the ground over vegetable crops, roses, and berry plants from the afternoon until late evening hours.
This does require a bit of manual labor, but it’s an environmentally safe way to keep these pests from your garden. Be sure, however, not to place row cover on blooming vegetable crops that require bees for pollination.
Don’t Water
Resist the urge to irrigate your lawn (I know, it’s summer and we want it green!) during the beetles’ active season. Moist lawns are where beetles lay their eggs.
Preventative Planting
Plant trees and shrubs Japanese beetles stay away from, such as arborvitae, boxwood, dogwood, firs, hemlock, holly, junipers, lilac, magnolia, oaks, pines, redbud, red maple, and rhododendron. You can also plant chives,garlic, tansy, and catnip in your garden, as these are a natural deterrent.
Organic Milky Spore And Beneficial Nematodes
You can applyboth organic milk spore and beneficial nematodesto your yard. ApplyMilky sporein late spring andBeneficial Nematodesin late summer.
They won’t kill adult Japanese beetles, but they will prevent their eggs from hatching in your yard and slow or stop the cycle. If applied during hot, dry weather, you may need to apply a second time to make sure that most of the powder didn’t blow away, rendering it ineffective.
Kaolin Clay
The uses ofKaolin Clayseem endless, one of them being the prevention of insects. This needs to bemixed welland sprayed on your plants and vegetables before an infestation. It also needs to be re-applied throughout the beetles’ active season. Be sure to thoroughly wash any fruits or vegetables that have been sprayed with Kaolin Clay before eating.
Stopping An Infestation
If you already have a Japanese beetle infestation, there are a number of natural ways you go about eliminating them.
Soapy Water
As with many bugs, these beetles can be killed with soapy water. This is extremely “hands-on” work but effective.
Grab as many of the beetles as you can with your hands and drop them into soapy water where they cannot survive.
Mass Trapping
Depending on who you ask, using small Japanese Beetle traps may not be the answer, as the pheromones used to attract the beetles end up attracting more than the traps can keep up with, causing your property to become a popular place to eat. However, for those with large acreage and orchards to protect,mass trappingmay be the solution.
Neem Oil
Neem oil是一个自然的选择,不会伤害你的植物,但它会杀死甲虫。你可能想在虫子出现之前在你的植物上喷洒一些,作为预防措施。
Geraniums
Japanese beetles love to eat geraniums, but they make them dizzy and disoriented, which makes it easier to grab them and put them in a bucket of soapy water.
Not to mention, they are a beautiful addition to your garden!
Guinea Fowl
如果你养珍珠鸡,它们喜欢吃日本甲虫。大部分情况下,他们会照顾你院子里的这些害虫;然而,它们不一定擅长捕捉爬到果树和葡萄藤等高处的甲虫,所以你仍然需要注意这些区域。
Fermented Fruit Cocktail
诚然,对于任何有大的财产和严重的虫害问题的人来说,这可能是不现实的(或者你必须有很多),但对于那些问题不那么严重的人,你可以尝试在一桶水里发酵的水果鸡尾酒。
The sweet smell of the fruit attracts the beetles, but once they’re in, they’re trapped in the water and drown.
Japanese beetles are a pest no one wants to deal with. Find out if your state has already identified an established Japanese beetle problem, and if so, consider the options you can take to prevent them from moving into your property. If these bugs are already invading your gardens and trees, use natural methods to remove them and put a plan in place to ensure they don’t return.
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