(8/1) Are the Japanese beetles driving you crazy? Although I haven’t found a ton at my house, there have been a few reports across the county. They cause the leaves of plants to look like lace…not the best conditions for a plant that needs to photosynthesize.

What can you do about these nasty beetles? Let’s first review the life cycle. As with any insect problem, it’s important to understand how they grow: when they feed, mate, lay eggs and overwinter. In the case of the Japanese beetle, they overwinter as grubs, the larval stage of the beetle. They make their way to the surface in May and feed on grass roots until they emerge as the adult beetle in late June through July. At that point, they feed on about 300 different host plants, from roses and hibiscus, to apple trees and birch. The adults will feed and mate for about a month, then lay 40 – 60 eggs in the soils.

In about 10-12 days, the eggs will hatch into tiny larvae, or grubs. They will feed on the grass until late September. When the temperatures begin to cool, the larvae (grubs) will bury deeper into the soil to overwinter. Then when the temperatures warm again in the spring, the cycle begins all over.

Knowing this cycle gives us a good idea about how to control these insects. Right now we’re concerned about the flowers, shrubs and trees as the adults keep chewing and chewing and chewing. Hand picking is the most environmentally friendly way of controlling the beetle. Drop them into a bucket with a soapy solution and you’ll greatly reduce the population. This should be done as soon as you begin to see the beetles.

If this isn’t an option for you, some pesticides that can be used are Carbaryl, Malathion, and Rotenone. When using pesticides, always read the label prior to applying and follow the label’s recommendations. Don’t overuse or over-mix the pesticides.

As we move into August, we are entering the tail end of the adults. Our next line of defense for Japanese beetles is to control the larvae. Remember the adults are laying there eggs throughout July, so the best time to control these critters is late July through August, as the larvae hatch and begin feeding on the turf. An interesting thing to note: if you are in a dry spell and the ground is hard when the beetles are laying eggs, the chances of a high grub population are reduced. In contrast, if there is plenty of rain at the time the eggs are laid, the grub population will increase. This year’s moisture almost guarantees us a good beetle crop in 2016.

There are many options when controlling grubs at their earliest stage. If using chemicals, Carbaryl, Malathion and Rotenone can be applied. Always read the label when using these and all pesticides.

If using a more "natural" method of control, nematodes and milky spore are two options. Nematodes are microscopic worms that feed on the Japanese beetle grubs. These are alive, so are typically shipped and must be used immediately. These can be found through biological mail order catalogs.

Milky spore is a bacterium that as the grubs ingest the spores, it ruins their stomach, goes into the blood stream and as the grub dies, the spores are dispersed throughout the soil, increasing the amount of spores. As far as control of grubs, instant depletion of the larvae will not happen as the spores need to build up in the soils. But as the years go on, grub control will be successful. The use of milky spore works best when communities use this as a control measure. The idea is to get the spores built up in the soils so as the adult beetles lay the eggs and the larvae hatch, they will feed and die.

Whether using chemical or biological controls, application rates and how to’s are listed on the labels. Also on the labels are things like disposal, first aide, and other important information. Remember whether it’s chemical or organic, it’s still a pesticide as it is killing an insect, so caution is important when using.

Four lined plant bug has also been an issue this year and last. These little bugs will suck plant juices from the leaves and leave sunken brown spots. In heavy feeding, the bugs can cause distortion of the leaves causing cupping and crumpling. The four lined plant bug has one generation per year, however, other plant bugs may have up to four generations per year.

These bugs will overwinter as eggs that have been inserted in the plant tissue. The nymphs will hatch in April through early May and then turn to adults by late May through early June. They feed as nymphs and adults. They will feed for about a month, mate, lay eggs then die.

To control these pests, spraying with summer oil or insecticidal soap has proven successful. Begin application as soon as you see any damage to reduce the amount of potential adults. Be sure to dispose of fallen leaves and dead branches in the fall to reduce the overwintering habitat of the four lined plant bug. The plant parts that are cleaned up should be composted or disposed of.

On a positive note, the firefly, or lightning bug, is a common insect found, or should I say "seen" in the summer. This is a beetle, not a fly or a bug. They cause no damage to our plants, but put on a great light show in the summer.

These beetles will lay up to 500 eggs in damp soil in late summer. The larvae will hatch in about a month and will feed on worms and slugs for one to three years! It then goes into the pupa stage and will emerge as an adult in late June – early July. These insects are fascinating and wonderful to watch as they use their "lights" as adults to signal from one to another. Both male and female light up. The males are typically the ones flying around flashing their lights to attract a female. She is usually sitting, watching for a light that she likes. Once she finds that pattern that turns her on, she’ll begin flashing as well so the male can find her. Then the life cycle starts all over again.

A beneficial insect is the soldier beetle, considered beneficial because the larvae feed on eggs and larvae of other insects. The adult will feed on aphids, other soft bodied insects with their main diet as adults being nectar and pollen.

These beetles overwinter as pupae in the soil. They turn into beetles in early summer and mate. The eggs are laid in the soil where, after hatching, the larvae begin to feed for up to a year on other insect larvae and eggs. It’s very easy to spot a soldier beetle when checking out the goldenrod. They tend to hang out in the flowers waiting for mate. While waiting, they may take in some nectar and pollen, making them good pollinators.

These are four very common insects we will see this time of year. These can be found on many different species of plants, and knowing life cycles and what the damage, or not damage, they do to plants will increase our effectiveness of pesticide usage. We will have better control of the bad bugs because we are using the pesticides at the right time to control a particular problem and have a better appreciation of the good bugs that require no control at all.

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