The Japanese Beetle is a highly destructive pest during both its larval and adult stages. They overwinter in the soil as grubs, and feed on turf grass root systems during the fall and spring.
Adult beetles skeletonize plant foliage by consuming leaf tissue between the veins. They are most active during the day and prefer to feed in areas exposed to direct sunlight.
In addition to direct damage caused by the adults and larvae, damage to turf also occurs when moles, raccoons and skunks dig for subsurface grubs as a food source. Birds are a natural predator also.
Turf Symptoms
• Leaves are skeletonized by shiny, metallic green beetles with tiny tufts of hair along each side of the abdomen.
Control Options
Apply MERIT G or SOLUPAK just prior to egg hatch.
• Apply MERIT G at the rate of 560 g/100 m2.
• Apply MERIT SOLUPAK at the rate of 1 packet per 1,206 m2.
• Water sufficiently (5-10 mm of water) following the application to move the active ingredient through the thatch.
