Japanese Beetles

[WCMO]

Seeing more Japanese beetles than I've ever seen before.  Eating on some corn leaves on field borders, mostly seeing them here on rose bushes, vines, elm trees, velvetleaf right now, but there are quadrillions of them.

[JimMeade]

I haven't seen any in east-central Iowa this year or for a couple of years.  I'll have to keep my eyes open.  Their bark is worse than their bite, but they can be a real nuisance.

[WCMO]

In the past, I've never noticed any significant crop damage from Japanese beetles, though that can change.  Updated myself on university recommendations, just to keep in mind.  Notwithstanding the university threshold recommendations, I wonder how thick they really need to be before something really needs to be done to control them (for the future), generally speaking (grubs & beetles)?  Jillions of beetles, each surviving female laying up to 40-60 eggs. They apparently have no natural enemies, and seem to be more of them every year around here.  Seemed to be a couple weeks earlier this year than last year, and many, many more of them this year than last year.  If the grubs feed on roots of grass, then they likely feed on roots of wheat and corn also.  On the good side, they seem to like velvetleaf, and since they started here a couple weeks earlier, the beetles should die out a couple weeks earlier also, at least I hope.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_beetle

[JimMeade]

That's a lot of beetles.  Population in eastern Iowa fluctuates from year to year.  They like our Linden tree and roses.  Imidacloprid seems to be effective, but it is a neonic so it bothers bees, as well.

[WCMO]

Quite a few sprayed insecticide on beans, primarily due to the Japanese beetles, although I don't think the university economic thresholds were even close to being reached.  Been seeing a lot of aerial applications this past week, likely fungicides on corn, yet suspect also including insecticide, seeing silk clipping by the beetles on field borders and along any grass/trees.  Will need to do some corn inspections tomorrow to see what is happening further into fields.

Mowing the yard today, checked on my backyard peaches -- that crop will be zero this year.  Around 90-95% of the ripening peaches are so covered with Japanese beetles that the peaches themselves are not even visible, just balls of beetles on the trees.  Pic is what an individual peach looks like on the tree -- 

[ECIN]

WoW ! Didn't know them dam Jap's liked peaches like that - Really - just seen a few he and there this year - Like Jim - Roses are the place to watch . Seen first spray chopper go over this morning headed South at first light - very calm here first thing - boy that Jet Ranger sure did sound good : )))

Speaking of spray planes -- Many dusters have gone to turboprops - I understand - they are more reliable can carry a bigger load AND they are quite - Yet -- this is just NOT right ! Give Ken a old Ag Cat with a 600 - ROUND engine - prop tips - supersonic as the make there turn back in = music to the ears !  Even a Ag truck or Pawnee will work - lol  

[JimMeade]

Sorry about your peaches.  That looks awful.  Looks like a banzai charge.

[WCMO]

Planes and helicopters out today, insecticides.  The problem with university thresholds -- enough damage already done that it would have paid for spraying at that point.  Probably have even worse beetle population in 2018, unless we have a really cold winter, to kill some larvae in the ground.

[JimMeade]

The Japanese beetles have found our Linden tree, even though I'd doused it with  Imidacloprid.  Not as bad as a couple of yeas ago when I didn't dose the trees.  The blackbirds and robins are having a feast.

[gil.gullickson]

Saw tons of them chewing on soybeans when I was in Missouri last week.

Gil Gullickson

Crops Technology Editor

Successful Farming.