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Organic Solutions for Japanese Beetles and May or June Bugs

A Factsheet from Toxic Free NC

AboutJapaneseBeetlesSeveralbeetlesintheScarabfamilycandamagecropsinthegarden,bothaboveandbelowtheground.ThemostwellknownistheJapaneseBeetle.RelatedbeetlesincludetheGreenJuneBeetleandtheEuropeanChafer.They’reoCencalledMayorJuneBeetles.Managingallthreespeciesissimilar.ThegrubsofthesebeetleseattherootsofgrassesandcropplantsandotherorganicmaEer.Theycanbeabigprobleminlawns,andmayalsoeattherootsofvegetableandstrawberrytransplants,cornplants,andpotatoes.Asadults,thesebeetleseatcropleaves,leavingaragged,lacyor“skeletonized”leaf,wheretheveinsareleCintactbuttheleafymaterialbetweeniseaten.Adultsmayalsoeatflowersandfruits.Thesebeetlescanweakenplants,damagefruit,orevenkilltheplant.TheKpsbelowaredesignedtohelpyoumanageJapaneseBeetleandMayorJuneBeetledamageinyourgardenwithouttoxicchemicals.Sustainablepestmanagementstrategiesusuallyworkbestwhenusedtogether.Thinkaboutyourgarden,yourresources,andyourKme,andputseveraloftheseKpstogetherforaplanthatworksforyou.Iden1fyingJapaneseBeetlesAllthreetypesofadultbeetlesareblockyinshapeand0.5-1inchlong.TheJapaneseBeetleismetallicgreenwithcoppercoloredwingsandhastuCsofsmallwhitehairsalongthesidesofitsbody.TheGreenJuneBeetle,orJunebug,isiridescentgreen.TheEuropeanChaferisashinybrowncolor,andisbitmoreroundshapedthantheothers.Thelarvaeofallthreespeciesarecalled“whitegrubs.”Theycanbeuptoaninchlong,withbrownheadsandplump,white,segmentedbodies.Theyhavethreepairsoflegsjustbehindtheirheads,andtheirtail-endsmaylookgray.TheycurlupintoaCshape.

Grubs.PhotoCredit:DavidCappaert,MichiganStateUniversity.

AdultJapanesebeetlesondamagedleaf.PhotoCredit:DavidCappaert,MichiganStateUniversity.

LifeCycleThelifecyclesofthesebeetlescanbefrom1–4yearslongdependingontheytype.Adultsusuallycomeoutofthesoilinswarmsduringlatespringandearlysummer.Theyeatplantleavesforseveralweeksandthenlayeggsinthesoilduringthesummer.Theeggshatchin2–3weeks,andthelarvaeorgrubseatforawhilebeforespendingthewinterdeepinthesoil.Inspring,thegrubscometotheupperlayersofsoiltofeedonrootsandorganicmaEer.Sometypesofgrubspupateinearlysummerandthencomeoutofthesoilasadults.OthertypesstayundergroundunKlwinterwhentheywillhibernate.TheycanrepeatthecycleofundergroundeaKngandhibernaKngfor1to3yearsbeforethegrubfinallypupatesandbecomesanadultbeetle.Preven1on1)Growhealthyorganicplants.StrongplantscanhandlesomebeetledamagebeEerthanweak,strugglingplants.JapaneseBeetlesandMay&JuneBeetlesmaylikethesmellofsickorinjuredplantsandaEackthemfirst.Makesurethatyourcropsarege^ngenoughsunlightandwaterandthatthesoiliswell-drainedandrichinnutrientsandorganicmaEer.2)Timing.Ifyourgrowingseasonislongenoughandtheweatherallows,youmaychoosetoplantsomequick-growingplantsinlatesummeraCermostadultJapanesebeetlesandMay&Junebeetleshavefinishedfortheyear.3)Userowcovers.Keeptheadultbeetlesfromfindingyourcropbycoveringyourplantswithalightweight“floaKng”rowcoversuchasReemay.Thismaterial(unlikeplasKcorheavierfabrics)letswater,air,andsunlightthrough.Youcanbuythematgardensupplystoresororderfromseedcatalogs.Thecoverscanlierightontheplants(theplantswillliCthecoverastheygrow),oryoucansupportthemwithwirehoops.

ThetrickistokeeptheedgesofthecoversKghtlyburiedorweigheddownsothatthebeetlescannotgetin.IfyourcropsrequirepollinaKonbyflyinginsectsinordertoproducefood(squashandothercucurbits,forinstance),youwillhavetoremovetherowcoversperiodicallytopollinatebyhand.CoveringyourcropworksbestinsoilwhereJapaneseorMay&JuneBeetleshavenotbeenapestinthepast.Ifyouhavegrubslivinginyoursoilalready,rowcoverswillkeepthemininsteadofout!

4)Avoidtraps.PheromonetrapsareoCenrecommendedforJapaneseBeetles,butinasmallgardenthosetrapscandomoreharmthangood!Keepinmindthatadultbeetlescancomeoutinverylargenumbersallatonce,andtheymovefast.TrapsmightaEractalotmorebeetlestotheareathantheycatch.Forthesamereason,lighttrapsortrapcropsarenotrecommended.

AdultgreenJunebeetle.Photocredit:ClemsonUniversity-USDACooperaKve

ExtensionSlideSeries

EuropeanChaferadultbeetle.Photocredit:MikeReding&BetsyAnderson,USDAAgricultural

ResearchService

GeIngRidofJapaneseBeetlesWithoutToxicChemicals1)Scoutandhandpick.You’lloCenseewhitegrubswhenyouarediggingorKllingthegarden.Whenyoudo,crushthem,sniptheminhalfwithscissors,ordropthemintoapailofsoapywater.Adultbeetlescanbehandpickedfromplantsandcrushedordroppedintosoapywater.Youcanalsoputadropclothbeneathyourplantsandthenshakethebeetlesoutandcollectthemonthedropcloth.EarlymorningisagoodKmetolookfortheadultbeetles,becausewhenthey’recoldtheymovemoreslowly.2)AOractnaturalenemies.SometypesofwaspsandfliesarepredatoryorparasiKctobeetleeggsandwhitegrubs.Groundbeetlesandsomeantseattheeggs,andbirdsaregoodpredatorsofadultbeetles.YoucanwelcomebeneficialinsectstoyourgardenbyplanKngwildflowersandherbswithsmallflowersforpollenandnectar.Perennialherbandflowerbedsandshrubsnearbythevegetablegardenwillprovideahomeformanyotherhelpfulcreatures.3)Parasi1cnematodes.ThereareatleasttwospeciesofparasiKcnematodesyoucanbuythatwillaEackthegrubsofJapanesebeetlesandMay&Junebeetles.Checkgardensupplyandseedcatalogsfortherightspecies,andfollowtheirinstrucKonscarefully.4)Milkydiseasebacteria.MilkydiseaseistypeofbacteriathatkillsthewhitegruboftheJapanesebeetle.ItmayalsoworkforMay&Junebeetlewhitegrubs.Milkydiseaseisnotharmfultoothercreatures.SporesofmilkydiseasecanbeboughtinproductssuchasMilkySpore™,andappliedtogardensoil.Itmaybeevenmorehelpfultoapplyittolawns,perennialbeds,andotherareasnearthegardenthatyoudon’tKll.Youcanfinditingardenstoresorseedcatalogs.BesuretofollowinstrucKonscarefully.Thewhitegrubeatsmilkydiseasebacteria,thendiesandthebacteriaspreadintothesoil,wheretheywillhelpyoucontrolgrubsforseveralyears.Usingmilkydiseasecantakeayearortwotowork,butonceitdoes,itcanlastforseveralyears.However,milkydiseasewon’tcontroladultbeetlesunlessthewholeneighborhoodusesit!Theadultscanflyandmovefast,sotheyfindingtheirwayfromonegardentothenexteasily.5)UseNeemoil.NeemoilisanaturalproductpressedfromtheseedoftheNeemtree,whichrepelsandkillsmanytypesofinsects.AsalastresortwhenbeetlesareeaKngtheleavesofyourplants,youmightchoosetospraytheleaveswiththisleast-toxicinsecKcide.DoublecheckanyNeemoilproductontheOrganicMaterialsReviewInsKtute’slistofproductsapprovedforcerKfiedorganicfarms.Neemoilcankillpollinatorsandother“goodbugs”youwanttokeepinyourgarden,soyoushoulduseasliEleaspossible.TrytosprayintheearlymorningorlateeveningbeneficialinsectsarelessacKve.Obviously,even“organic”sprayscomewithrisksandproblems,sotrytheotherKpsherefirst,andyoumaybeabletoskipthespraysaltogether.

SourcesEllis,BarbaraandBradley,FernMarshall,editors.TheOrganicGardener'sHandbookofNaturalInsectandDiseaseControl:ACompleteProblem-SolvingGuidetoKeepingYourGardenandYardHealthyWithoutChemicals.RodalePress,1996.Frank,StevenandBambara,S.“ManagementofadultJapanesebeetlesforcommercialnurseryandlandscapeoperaKons.”DepartmentofEntomologyInsectNote,NCStateUniversity,NCCooperaKveExtensionService.RevisedJune,2009.ViewedMarch,2012:[link]Bambara,S.“GreenJunebeetlegrubs.”DepartmentofEntomologyInsectNote,NCStateUniversity,NCCooperaKveExtensionService.ViewedMarch,2012:[link]Heller,Paul.“GreenJuneBeetle.”ThePennsylvaniaStateUniversityCollegeofAgriculturalSciences,EntomologyDepartment.April2007.ViewedMarch,2012:[link]Murray,Todd.“PestAlert:MoveoverCraneFly;theEuropeanChaferiscoming!”GardenFriends&Foes.WashingtonStateUniversity,WhatcomCountyExtension.[link]

“MayorJuneBeetles(Phyllophagaspp.)”UniversityofFlorida,InsKtuteofFoodandAgriculturalSciencesExtension.August2006.ViewedMarch,2012:[link]“MayBeetles.”CenterforIntegratedPestManagement,NorthCarolinaStateUniversity,NCCooperaKveExtensionService.ViewedMarch,2012:[link]"JuneBeetle.”TexasA&MUniversity,DepartmentofEntomology,AgrilifeExtension.ViewedMarch,2012:[link]Steinkraus,KH,andTashiro,H.“MilkyDiseaseBacteria.”AmericanSocietyforMicrobiology:AppliedMicrobiology.Vol.15,No.2,March1967.ViewedMarch,2012:[link]McGrath,Mike.“MilkySporedisease–doesitpreventlawngrubs?”YouBetYourGardenradioshow:QuesKonoftheWeek.2006.ReprintedbyGardensAlive!ViewedMarch,2012:[link]

Thisfactsheetwaswri-enwiththeneedsofnon-commercialhome,schoolandcommunitygardenersinmind.Cer:fiedOrganicgrowers,orthoseseekingacer:fica:on,shouldcheckwiththeircer:fyingagencybeforeusingANYinsec:cide.Someorganicallyacceptableinsec:cidesareapprovedforuseinCer:fiedOrganicsystemsonlyagainstcertainpestsorincertainsitua:ons.