The Japanese beetle is a very destructive insect pest both in its adult and larval stage. It is an alien invader that original arrived in the US about 80 years ago. In its native land of Japan, it is not the threat to plants that it is here because its natural enemies keep it under control. Not so here in the U.S.

When it arrived here, it had no existing natural enemies. The food of it's liking was plentiful and the climate was favorable for it. Japanese beetles have continued their spread throughout the country because they don't have the controls here that they have in Japan. It's a big threat to our agriculture, and to our landscape and garden plants as well.

The adult Japanese beetle will feed on a vast array of trees and plants including vegetable crops, ornamental and fruit trees, agricultural and garden vegetables and shrubs of all kinds. There are hundreds of plants and trees that adult Japanese beetles will eat. They will attack them in great numbers and leave behind skeletons and seriously damaged plants. The grubs attack both lawns and the roots of a wide variety of plants throughout this country. The cost of these uninvited pests totals in the hundred of millions of dollars with untold damage done in the process.

The Japanese beetle is an easy bug to identify; in fact it's a lot easier to ID than to control. Usually they appear in sufficient numbers to give the average person the creeps. They are a shiny metallic green color with bronze colored wings, about ½ inch long. Usually you will see these guys in early summer. The grubs are about 1 inch long and curled up. You find them when you dig in your garden or lawn.

The first step in controlling Japanese beetles on your property is to see what kind of problem you have. For this you need a trap especially designed for them. They are sold at all home and garden centers. They attract the beetles with pheromones and can be used to assess the level of your problem. They are sometimes sold as controls for them but that is not really the case because they will probably lure Japanese beetles from other places to come to your property. But if you leave one or two out it can help you determine the level of your problem (at least with adults). For instance, if after a week you only have a few in the trap then it's probably not worth worrying about.

To check for grubs, dig several 12" x 12" by 3" deep sections of sod in different locations and turn them over. Count the number of grubs both on the turned over piece and in the hole. If you have 11 or more per section then you may need to treat.

There are several routes you can take to control Japanese beetle adults. There are several environmental and potential health issues with the use of chemicals; nevertheless there are quite a few on the market for adults and grubs. A visit to any garden center or home center will provide you with a ready source. Be sure to read and carefully follow all directions.

Safer to use than chemicals, biological controls can effectively manage beetle problems without the potential for environmental and health impact. Following is a list of some types of them.

· Beneficial nematodes
· Milky spore
· Parasitic wasps and flies

Also, there are a host of plants that are less susceptible to Japanese beetle than others. These include hollies, hemlocks, red maples, dogwoods, spruces, pines as well as many others.