Japanese Beetles Are Hatching – Protect Your Plants Now!
Japanese beetles hatch early in the summer, typically around July 4th, leaving most of the season for them to cause plant damage to forests, farms, flowers, ornamental trees, and shrubs. If you see an iridescent copper and green colored beetle, contact us to consider treatment options for your clients. Here are our recommendations for this season.
History of the Japanese Beetle
The Japanese beetle is native to Japan, but arrived in New Jersey before 1916. It’s suspected that the beetle larvae entered our country in a shipment of iris bulbs several years earlier, and before inspection of commodities began. The infestation quickly worsened, and now, nearly every eastern and mid-western state fights the pest off yearly.
Though it is small, measuring just 1.5cm long, Japanese Beetle poses a serious problem. Encourage your customers to contact you for confirmation if they suspect their landscape may be infected before considering next steps. Our experts are also happy to help answer any additional questions. We also recommend visiting www.bugwood.org for pictures of the pest and more information.
(via https://livingwithinsects.wordpress.com)
Recommended Treatment Plan
We recommend a few different action plans depending on the location of the infestation, weather factors, severity, and plant material.
AzaSol has antifeedant properties against Japanese beetle, and they tend to avoid the foliage because of the residue. Use as either a spray or via tree injection. Because this pest is so difficult to control, AzaSol treatments must be reapplied numerous times throughout the adult feeding season if sprayed, and once every thirty days by injection. We recommend injecting AzaSol initially and then following up within 14 to 28 days with IMA-jet post-bloom on flowering plants to fight persistently feeding pests.
Many flowering species would benefit from ACE-jet depending on timing of the treatment. Those interested in this method should apply treatment after flowering and should expect around 30 days of activity. This method generally works best when Japanese beetles are already active on trees (after July 4th) and may be coupled with a longer lasting IMA-jet injection. When used alone, IMA-jet will provide season-long protection on non-flowering species like birch trees, but must be applied post-flowering on other species.
IMA-jet, AzaSol, and ACE-jet are all active against Japanese Beetle. The residual activity of IMA-jet often makes it the most attractive and efficient option for treatment, depending on the plant infested.
Connect with your Arborjet Regional Technical Manager or service provider today to discuss the best method for you. For more information on Japanese Beetle and a host of other pests and diseases, browse our website and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
