I have been hearing some questions from members and homeowners near the club about the Japanese Beetle. The most common question is, "Do I need to treat?"
Well, like most things dealing with nature, it depends. What is your threshold? Do you notice damage? If not, then maybe you don't need to treat. There are some other tactics that can be used to combat the beetle. This article from Colorado State University is packed with great information about the Japanese Beetle here in Colorado.
Maybe you have enough damage that you want to do something about it. That is good. On the golf course we found in 2017 that our populations and damage thresholds were high enough that it is time to take a different course of action.
The most important step to treating for any insect is understanding the life cycle. See photo below.
The most efficient stage of the insect to manage is the egg and early larvae stage. Treating the adult is very difficult and can be very harmful to other insects especially bees and pollinators. In fact the best method for treating adults is by hand picking. It is relatively easy to do and can be quite effective.
Adults don't do any harm to turfgrass, however they can be a nuisance. Adults can be found on numerous plants as identified in the CSU article. The larvae stage is what is harmful to turfgrass as they feed on grass roots. In many cases skunks and birds will pull up the turf and create quite a mess to feed on these little creatures. So this creates a big problem.
This spring we will be applying a product to the soil that lasts throughout the season and prevents the egg from developing into larvae thus ending the life cycle. It is a safe and highly effective product.
There are a number of other products out there that can help manage this pest, but I highly recommend educating yourself to understand which method is best for your property and budget. It is highly important to understand the application timing with all pesticides. All approved pesticide labels are easy to find, but maybe not so easy to understand. I urge all homeowners to ask enough questions to fully understand what products are the best for each situation. Pesticides have a bad reputation, when in fact when they are used properly they are highly beneficial.
Japanese beetles are certainly here to stay in the Denver area. The eastern United States has been dealing with them for over a century now. Once initial populations are reduced, we can look at reducing pesticide use over the long term.
Well, like most things dealing with nature, it depends. What is your threshold? Do you notice damage? If not, then maybe you don't need to treat. There are some other tactics that can be used to combat the beetle. This article from Colorado State University is packed with great information about the Japanese Beetle here in Colorado.
Maybe you have enough damage that you want to do something about it. That is good. On the golf course we found in 2017 that our populations and damage thresholds were high enough that it is time to take a different course of action.
The most important step to treating for any insect is understanding the life cycle. See photo below.
The most efficient stage of the insect to manage is the egg and early larvae stage. Treating the adult is very difficult and can be very harmful to other insects especially bees and pollinators. In fact the best method for treating adults is by hand picking. It is relatively easy to do and can be quite effective.
Adults don't do any harm to turfgrass, however they can be a nuisance. Adults can be found on numerous plants as identified in the CSU article. The larvae stage is what is harmful to turfgrass as they feed on grass roots. In many cases skunks and birds will pull up the turf and create quite a mess to feed on these little creatures. So this creates a big problem.
This spring we will be applying a product to the soil that lasts throughout the season and prevents the egg from developing into larvae thus ending the life cycle. It is a safe and highly effective product.
There are a number of other products out there that can help manage this pest, but I highly recommend educating yourself to understand which method is best for your property and budget. It is highly important to understand the application timing with all pesticides. All approved pesticide labels are easy to find, but maybe not so easy to understand. I urge all homeowners to ask enough questions to fully understand what products are the best for each situation. Pesticides have a bad reputation, when in fact when they are used properly they are highly beneficial.
Japanese beetles are certainly here to stay in the Denver area. The eastern United States has been dealing with them for over a century now. Once initial populations are reduced, we can look at reducing pesticide use over the long term.
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