At this time of year, we see a great amount of activity from Japanese beetles. The Japanese beetle, although native to Japan, was first found in the United States in 1916 in a nursery near Riverton, New Jersey. It is thought that beetle larvae entered the United States in a shipment of iris bulbs prior to 1912 when inspections of commodities entering the country began.

During the larval stage, the Japanese beetle lives in lawns and other grasslands, where it eats the roots of grass. During that stage, it is susceptible to a fatal disease called milky spore disease, caused by a bacterium called milky spore.

Japanese beetles feed on a large range of hosts, including leaves of plants of the following: strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, grapes, hops, roses, cherries, plums, pears, peaches, raspberries, blackberries, corn, peas, and blueberries.

If you’re concerned about Japanese beetles around your home or place of business, give Dave’s Pest Control a call at 1-800-400-6009.