Japanese Beetles

Are Japanese beetles bad for gardens?

Japanese beetle on leaf

you can identify a japanese beetle by its mettalic green and brown shell and its white fuzzy bumps (shown) they eat over 300 species of ornamental and agricultural plants. but japenese beetles only live 30–45 days. they appear from the ground in early summer and and disappear in august-september. the infestations last for two months. these plants are targeted by japanese beetles:

roses

Norway maple

sassafras

Japanese maple

black walnut

gray birch

grape vines

American elm

most types of flowering tree including pear, peach plum, and cherry

here are a few ways to stop Japanese beetles from destroying your garden:

geranium is very helpful in stopping japenese beetles. the bright flowers are toxic to the beetles, and will paralyze them for 24 hours, making it easy to gather them up.

catnip and chives also repel them.

try planting garlic, rue, or tansy near your affected plants. japanese beetles don’t like the smell of these plants.

Japanese beetle in habitat.