Homeowners Handbook For Japanese Beetles In Nashville

Property pests like Japanese beetles are terrible nuisances for your lawn and garden. While they aren't dangerous to your health or home, they will damage your turf, trees, shrubs, and gardens. Landscaping is expensive and time-consuming to repair, so if you don't want a Japanese beetle infestation chewing through your savings, you need to learn how to keep your Nashville property protected from them this year.

Japanese Beetle Identification

The Japanese beetle is a beautiful scarab species with a metallic-green pronotum and copper-colored forewings. They're roughly 1/2 of an inch long, 1/4 of an inch wide, and have oval bodies. Japanese beetles are originally from Japan, but they were introduced to North America in the early 1900s. These beetles may look majestic, but don't let their lustrous shells fool you – they're invasive pests that regularly destroy crops, orchards, and vineyards.

Plants Japanese Beetles Are Drawn To

Unfortunately, Japanese beetles will eat just about any plant, shrub, or tree. These pests are voracious eaters that devour over 300 different kinds of plants, but they do have their favorites:

Roses
Fruit trees
Grapevines
Japanese maple trees
American elm trees
Gray birch trees
Black walnut trees
Sassafras
Norway maple trees
Hibiscus
Beans
Raspberry bushes

Japanese beetle larvae also destroy turf by eating the delicate root systems of grass, which leave unsightly brown patches in lawns. These pests are nightmares for lawn and garden enthusiasts, so you need reliable Nashville pest control to keep your landscape looking fresh this year.

Time Of The Year Japanese Beetles Are Active

For overwintering and developmental purposes, Japanese beetles spend most of their lives underground. The larvae enter a dormant state when temperatures drop in the fall, then resume their growth and lawn destruction in the spring. After they pupate, Japanese beetles emerge between June and August. These pests are most active during summer and early fall, so you'll want to implement a few preventative measures:

Japanese beetles love geraniums, but they contain a chemical that paralyzes them temporarily, which leaves them susceptible to predators. Geraniums often work as trap plants, so they're aesthetically pleasing and functional for prevention. A bonus – geraniums also repel stinging insects!
Skip the beetle traps. Manufactured traps use pheromones to lure Japanese beetles into their inescapable clutches, which sounds good in theory, but they often invite more pests onto your property.
Japanese beetles will eat anything if food is scarce, but less desirable plants are significant deterrents if they can find better food elsewhere. Consider adding marigolds, lilac bushes, begonias, tansy, catnip, larkspur, and chrysanthemums to ornamental gardens; and garlic, chives, onions, and leeks to fruit and vegetable gardens.

While less desirable plants offer excellent protection for their preferred delicacies, Japanese beetles will still eat their least favorite plants if other options aren't available. They also won't keep these pests from laying eggs on your lawn, so ongoing professional pest control is the most effective Japanese beetle prevention.

Complete Japanese Beetle Control With Urbanex

At Urbanex, we understand that lawns and gardens are the most important first impressions of any property, including residential. They're also expensive to maintain, even without pests, so you don't want to see your hard work go to waste. Our trained pest technicians know how to get rid of Japanese beetles and other lawn pests, so you won't have to worry about insects destroying your landscaping. We use family-friendly pest control products, offer free inspections, and provide unlimited re-servicing if your pest problems return. So give us a call today to learn more about our treatment plans.

Request Your Free Inspection

Complete the form below to schedule your no obligation inspection.