Japanese Beetle Management

The Japanese Beetle has been a steadfast non-native pest in Wisconsin for the past twenty years causing damage on countless numbers of herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees. Japanese beetles are easily recognized by their metallic green bodies and brown-copper wing covers. They show up by the handfuls and congregate at branch tips on herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees where they feed en masse. They are noticeably unskilled fliers in the summer feeding months can be seen frequently bumping into obstacles, including people.

Adults emerge from lawns where they live their early lives as grubs, hatching around late June into July. Japanese beetles are non-selective and feed on over 350 different plants and trees, with several species of trees being among their favorite foods. The feeding damage done by Japanese beetle is easily recognized since they focus feeding on tender new growth at the top center tips of trees. Leaves are “skeletonized” when they consume plant tissues between leaf veins. Damage on trees include browning of leaves, leaf drop, and extensive feeding can cause complete defoliation. A tree can survive a few growing seasons of defoliation before serious decline sets in. Japanese Beetles can quickly overwhelm a landscape, Tree Health Management can help mitigate the threat. Contact us and let’s set up a visit!