Japanese Beetles Your Tree Service Company in Denver Can Eliminate
americanarbor April 25, 2018

After spending much time, energy, and valued dollars on your lawn and landscaping, it can be incredibly frustrating when it is ruined by unwanted pests. In Denver, there are a variety of pests that can harm your lawn that you will need to get rid of to maintain its look. By taking a few steps and working with your local tree service company in Denver, you can eliminate these problems. One such pest that causes headaches for homeowners and landscapers alike is the invasive species, the Japanese beetle.

First encountered in the early 20th century in a small New Jersey town, the japanese beetle is a pest to all states East of the Mississippi and even a few to the West. With an almost all encompassing appetite the grubs and the beetle feed on more than 300 agricultural and ornamental plants. Known as one of the most destructive insects to grass and plants alike, the larva and beetle can damage your lawn immensely.

Costly to combat, and extremely destructive, investing into an experienced Denver landscaping company can ease the stress you experience and get rid of the pests reeking havoc on your trees, plants and grass.

Japanese Beetles

Japanese beetles are small beetles that are typically a metallic green and blue color, with a cooper orange back. They can resemble other beetles, but an easy identifier for a Japanese beetle is the presence of two rear white tufts and five white tufts located on its side.  While they might look pretty, they can do a lot of damage to your lawn as they feed on plants in groups.

They especially are attracted to pollinating flowers and plants and because they work in groups, can demolish leaves, as they eat around the veins of the leaves, stripping them down and rendering them useless. You will notice this when your leaves begin to have holes in them, or disappear leaving only their veins. You can help to avoid this issue by working with your tree and landscaping company on properly fertilizing the ground and treating the area with insecticides.

White Grubs

Japanese beetles start off as white grubs in the ground. It is considered that an infestation of seven to fifteen grubs per square feet can cause significant damage to the surrounding plant life. In the grub stage, the pest feeds upon the roots of plants in their feeding area. One way to identify if there might be an infestation of Japanese beetle grubs is by identifying the areas of your lawn that show signs of browning or patches of grass that have died.

Usually the beatles will lay eggs in early summer at which point the larval stage of the beetle will emerge after approximately two weeks. While the larva feed on the finer roots, the emerging grub stage is where they attack the more robust parts of the root system. They hibernate during the winter, and will emerge as adults four to six weeks after the beginning of spring. Most of its life is spent in the larval stage, but the 30-45 days it spends as an adult can cause an extreme amount of damage to your landscape.

After they are born, they usually do a lot of their damage in early fall, so it is important to keep an eye on warning signs such as brown or dying grass. You will want to eliminate this problem before winter, otherwise you will have a larger issue on your hands come next spring.

Care Tips

As we move closer and closer to the summer months, it is important to properly care for your lawn before any pests may have a chance to lay eggs or further damage your property.

If you are using pheromone traps to try to control your Japanese beetle population, you may be causing more damage than you realize. Traps have been researched and the findings conclude that the device attracts more beetles to the surrounding area rather than eradicating the pest. Other ways of reducing the population include natural repellents such as catnip, chives, tansy and garlic, but have been noted to have a limited effect on the beetle population.

If caught early enough, your landscaper could find an adequate means of getting your pest problem under control. One such way is through a biological control. A specific bacteria is known to cause milky spore disease in the larva of Japanese beetles and can be administered in standard, low density across a broad area, treatments. It’s not an immediate way of ridding your lawn of grubs, and may take several years before your landscape is completely free of eggs and larva.

Prevention

In order to truly fight against one of the most destructive pests known in the area, you need the expertise of dedicated landscapers and arborists. You can get consulted on which plants are not susceptible to the beetle, and can identify an infestation and advise on a strong course of action to rid your landscape of the pest and ensure they don’t come back.

Insecticides applied from April to mid-June can target those recently emerged grubs and get them when they are starting to feed as the days get warmer.  There are granular and liquid optionsf or the treatment of japanese beetle.  While this may seem likely to get rid of your infestation, the larva at these stage are large and difficult to kill, so adult may emerge regardless of insecticide application. Consulting with an experienced landscaper can help you set a game plan for properly combating the Japanese beetle population in your lawn, trees and plants.  While we may never be able to eradicate the insect, a program may be set up as part of an IPM (Integrated Pest Management) plan to maintain the populations below a damaging threshhold. 

When trying to combat Japanese beetles, white grubs, and preparing your landscaping for the summer, American Arbor Care has you covered. Experienced with pest control and creating beautiful landscaping, the team at American Arbor Care can ensure your landscapes health and give you a lawn you’ll be proud of! As you prepare to make your plans, check out our American Arbor Care special offers. To get started, contact us at 303-639-8584. We can assess any damage done by unwanted pests and help ensure your investment lasts for years to come!

When was the last time you had a landscape assessment with a Certified Arborist?

Schedule your free assessment today!