Japanese beetles

Ahh yes, it's that time of the year again. Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica) are emerging from the ground and are ready to wreak havoc on everything that is green. Here are a few tips on how to prevent them in your garden and trees:

1. Avoid using vinegar sprays. This is effective against the beetles but it also can damage your plant, you'll end up doing more harm than good.

2. Try preventive methods rather than reactive. Japanese beetles leave their grub/larvae stage around mid May to early June. You could treat your soil with an insecticide but they tend to live deeper in the soil than other grubs (about 1 foot.) Keeping your leaves sprayed with a cedar oil or neem oil is a great method for preventing the beetles. It overpowers their pheromones and keeps them from clustering, just make sure to spray every two weeks and after a hard rain.

3. Plant herbs to keep them away from your gardens. Geranium will paralyze them once ingested. Other plants such as garlic, chives, cedar/juniper shrubs, citronella and catnip are effective as well.

4. Attract birds to your area. Birds are the best pest control and I highly recommend planting as many trees and bushes as you can to encourage their presence. A blank grass field is a breeding ground for pest so tear up your ornamental turf grass and get a real diverse environment.

5. Do not use Japanese beetle traps unless you have a serious infestation. The traps are filled with pheromones and actually attract more into your environment. They're only about 75% affective so you may cause more beetles to enter your garden than you would like.

You could also squish the beetles if thats what you're in to. Their "death smell" will discourage cluster feeding.

For a professional opinion on any tree-related issues, contact Dalton Tree Consulting