First Japanese Beetle Spotted

GoDawgs · May 25, 2019

It's that time of year again. On my evening walk around the garden I spied one Japanese beetle on a Blue Lake bean leaf. It got away. Then I found a second one on a Knockout rose leaf. It didn't get away.

I've read that it's important to get as many of the first beetles as possible as they are scouts who will report back to the masses where the good stuff is. I don't know if that's true but I'm now on a daily morning hunt.

greenthumbomaha · May 26, 2019

I haven't heard about the scouts, but I dug up my first grub so it won't be too long before jb's emerge here.

Had no idea about the beans. That's awful! Not something you'd want to eat after they've chomped down. Anything but soapy water for the beans?

- Lisa

AlittleSalt · May 26, 2019

There's saying here that is a derivative of a poem/idiom that says April showers brings May flowers. Here it is April showers brings May flowers that brings June bugs.

Japanese Green Beetles are a pain. They live on and around your place year-long. They overwinter under logs and on any spare lumber/firewood you might have stored, piles of leaves, etc. The best form of getting rid of them is to squash them/spray them/check those places I mentioned above. Get rid of them. The same goes for stinkbugs. They live in the same places.

SueCT · May 26, 2019

The beetles don't over winter here, but they do produce the grubs that they evolve from to give us a new crop every year. The cinnamon colored Asiatic Garden Beetle has outnumbered the green japanese ones the last several years, but they are the same kinds of pests. They both come from grubs and defoliate your plants if they get a chance. Hate them. Reminds me, I need to get some grubex down very soon.

GoDawgs · May 26, 2019

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenthumbomaha

Had no idea about the beans. That's awful! Not something you'd want to eat after they've chomped down. Anything but soapy water for the beans?
Lisa

You know, I've never had any on the beans before. I think it might have been a test munch. I've found one or two on corn leaves before but again, very little damage. However last year they discovered a crape myrtle they liked a lot. And they were on the grapes for the first time.

I'm wondering how the heat will affect not only the Jap beetles but other pests too. They're calling for five straight days of 100's. We'll see.

May 26, 2019

I can’t tell you how happy I was to leave those dang buggers behind when we left Massachusetts.
Sure hope they don’t make it to N. Florida.

However, we do have the Asiatic Garden Beetle, a kind of cousin. It’s a little smaller, cinnamon brown colored beetle that hides during the day and feeds at night. Grub looks very similar to JB.
They do a lot of ‘unexplained ‘ damage because most people never see them.
https://extension.unh.edu/resources/...542_Rep564.pdf

May 25, 2019	#1
GoDawgs Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Augusta area, Georgia, 8a/7b Posts: 1,685	First Japanese Beetle Spotted It's that time of year again. On my evening walk around the garden I spied one Japanese beetle on a Blue Lake bean leaf. It got away. Then I found a second one on a Knockout rose leaf. It didn't get away. I've read that it's important to get as many of the first beetles as possible as they are scouts who will report back to the masses where the good stuff is. I don't know if that's true but I'm now on a daily morning hunt.

May 26, 2019	#2
greenthumbomaha Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Omaha Zone 5 Posts: 2,514	I haven't heard about the scouts, but I dug up my first grub so it won't be too long before jb's emerge here. Had no idea about the beans. That's awful! Not something you'd want to eat after they've chomped down. Anything but soapy water for the beans? - Lisa

May 26, 2019	#3
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	There's saying here that is a derivative of a poem/idiom that says April showers brings May flowers. Here it is April showers brings May flowers that brings June bugs. Japanese Green Beetles are a pain. They live on and around your place year-long. They overwinter under logs and on any spare lumber/firewood you might have stored, piles of leaves, etc. The best form of getting rid of them is to squash them/spray them/check those places I mentioned above. Get rid of them. The same goes for stinkbugs. They live in the same places.

May 26, 2019	#4
SueCT Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,460	The beetles don't over winter here, but they do produce the grubs that they evolve from to give us a new crop every year. The cinnamon colored Asiatic Garden Beetle has outnumbered the green japanese ones the last several years, but they are the same kinds of pests. They both come from grubs and defoliate your plants if they get a chance. Hate them. Reminds me, I need to get some grubex down very soon.

May 26, 2019	#6
PlainJane Guest Posts: n/a	I can’t tell you how happy I was to leave those dang buggers behind when we left Massachusetts. Sure hope they don’t make it to N. Florida. However, we do have the Asiatic Garden Beetle, a kind of cousin. It’s a little smaller, cinnamon brown colored beetle that hides during the day and feeds at night. Grub looks very similar to JB. They do a lot of ‘unexplained ‘ damage because most people never see them. https://extension.unh.edu/resources/...542_Rep564.pdf