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Jacksonville, IL

Does anyone have these little shiny green beetles in their patch? They are just showing up here and I see them flying in the patch this morning. Sprayed some Seven to take care of them but don't know what harm they could pose to the plants. I have seen where they have cleaned rose bushes of there buds in little time but curious what they will do to the pumpkin plants.

6/14/2012 3:06:36 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

WiZZYWiki sayZ:

For the green beetles of southwestern United States and Mexico, see Figeater beetle.

The beetle species Popillia japonica is commonly known as the Japanese beetle. It is about 15 millimetres (0.6 in) long and 10 millimetres (0.4 in) wide, with iridescent copper-colored elytra and green thorax and head. It is not very destructive in Japan, where it is controlled by natural predators, but in America it is a serious pest of about 200 species of plants, including rose bushes, grapes, hops, canna, crape myrtles, and others.

It is a clumsy flier, dropping several centimeters when it hits a wall. Japanese beetle traps therefore consist of a pair of crossed walls with a bag underneath, and are baited with floral scent, pheromone, or both. However, studies done at the University of Kentucky suggest traps attract more beetles than they actually trap, thus causing more damage along the flight path of the beetles and in the vicinity of the trap than may have occurred if the trap were not present.[1]

These insects damage plants by skeletonizing the foliage, that is, consuming only the leaf material between the veins.

Probaly came over via that dock sitting up north west....

6/14/2012 3:26:38 PM

northern indiana

Y'all just dont use a big enough trap. Take your garden variety Japanese beetle trap and cut the bottom open. then take a trash bag and tape it to the trap bag.Tape all the spots the little buggers could escape around the bag nice and tight. So now the catch bag is much bigger. I like to use lawn leaf bags.
Now you can catch em by the thousands. Or like me by the hundreds of thousands.The big problem then is what to do with the bag fulls of beetles you catch. Maybe mulch them into plant food. (ah turn about is such fair play)
Hapdad

6/14/2012 8:11:42 PM