The Japanese Beetle, called the Popillia japonica, is originally native to Japan. Over the years, it has become an invasive pest in many regions of the United States. The Japanese Beetle causes damage by feeding on the leaves and flowers of many types of trees, plants, and shrubs. Common in Minnesota, Japanese Beetles can cause significant damage to your plants and trees if left untreated.

In both the larva stage and as fully grown beetles, these pests can cause serious damage. The larvae of Japanese Beetles, called grubs, develop in the soil, where they feed on the roots of trees and grass. As grubs, these insects can destroy turfgrass in lawns, parks and golf courses as well.

The adult Japanese Beetles, on the other hand, feed on everything. From grassroots and foliage to fruits and flowers of over 300 different plant species, these pests cause heavy damage. The beetles tend to feed the most between the months of June and August, prompting property owners and tree care experts like us, to take major preventative measures ahead of time. 

If you’re unsure of whether your trees are affected by the Japanese Beetle, give us a call and one of our expert plant healthcare technicians will get back to you. 

Identifying Japanese Beetles

Adult Japanese Beetles are slightly less than half an inch long. They have shiny, metallic-green bodies with bronze outer wings. If you notice these beetles on the leaves of your trees, it’s likely that your plants are suffering from a pest infestation. 

Here are some symptoms and signs you should look out for: 

Skeletonized Leaves 

The Japanese Beetles consume plant matter between leaf veins, making the leaves look skeletonized. If detected early, your plant will recover from the damage caused to the foliage. If left untreated, the Japanese Beetle causes irreparable damage to the tree. 

Browning/Dead Grass

For turfgrass or your lawn, look for brown or dead areas of grass during the normal growing season. If you find that grubs are the cause of the damage, then you should unquestionably book a treatment service.

Damaged Foliage

If you notice your trees and other plants looking weakened, dying, or damaged, it’s very likely that Japanese Beetles decimated your foliage. Treat this type of pest infestation immediately, to help save your plants from further damage.

Based on the symptoms listed above, if you think your trees are infested with Japanese Beetle, it’s imperative to get professional advice as soon as possible to limit the extent of damage caused to your yard. 

At Birch Tree Care, our experienced plant health care professionals know how to help your trees recover from pest infestations. Simply contact us and we’d be happy to provide you with a free quote based on your plants' needs. 

Our Japanese Beetle Tree Treatments

Japanese beetles can cause irrevocable damage to trees, but there are ways to limit this pest infestation from spreading. At Birch Tree Care, our team of skilled arborists and technicians provide the following treatment options to effectively stop the infestation and help protect your trees. 

Pesticide Treatment

We offer pesticides and larvicides to help reduce plant infestation. At Birch Tree Care, our expert plant health care professionals apply these pesticides to the soil and target root-eating grubs.

If you think this is something you can do on your own, just remember that pesticides are toxic materials – users must read and follow label directions precisely. When used incorrectly, insecticides can pose serious hazards to both people and plants. For this reason, it is best to hire a professional plant healthcare expert like us to treat your plants.

Japanese Beetle Treatment Trimming

Prevention of Japanese beetle pest infestations starts with tending to and maintaining trees and plants optimally. Our arborists make it a point to prune and trim all the leaves, branches, shrubs, and dead leaves that provides the beetles with a feeding habitat. This helps limit the risk of infection to the tree. Leave it up to our team to clean up after themselves - all the pruned leaves and plant matter will be disposed of promptly and accurately. 

Areas We Offer Japanese Beetle Treatment

Birch Tree Care is your neighborhood tree care company offering plant health care services to treat Japanese beetle infestations in residential and commercial properties. We operate in and around the Minneapolis and St. Paul area. Give us a call at 651.504.0533 for more information on our service options in your community. 

Japanese Beetle Treatment Customer Reviews

“Birch Tree Care was very diligent and thorough with their work and acted in a very professional manner. Their work is top notch and they clean up after they are done. They arrived on time, walked through the work with me before they started the job, and walked through again after they were done to verify the work was satisfactory. I highly recommend Birch Tree Care to anyone looking to have tree care done.” - Patrick Krile

“We were so impressed and happy with our service from Birch Tree Care. The crew could not have been more courteous, timely, efficient, professional, and all-around hard working. We will for sure use them again for any future project and I highly recommend you get a bid and give them a try.  Super reasonable price for how hard they work and the complicated jobs they’re able to perform.” - Ellen Schreier

 
 

Why Choose Birch Tree Care

Timing and precise application of pesticides are the two most critical factors in the chemical treatment of pests, like the Japanese beetle. At Birch Tree Care, our trained plant health care professionals know how to use these pesticides in a controlled manner and have the expertise needed to help protect your trees further. 

Leave it up to us to help your yard thrive, especially during the summer months when the risk of infection runs high for your plants. You’re in good hands with us at Birch Tree Care – our technicians and arborists use special equipment and treatment methods to make sure the job gets done safely and efficiently.

Japanese Beetle Treatment FAQs

  • The Japanese beetles are most abundant during the summer months of June to August. As fully grown beetles, they are extremely active and feed heavily on plants for about 6-8 weeks. On average, their lifespan is from 30 to 45 days.

  • While the Japanese beetles are known to cause severe damage to plants and trees through their excessive feeding, their teeth are too weak to break through the skin, and therefore, they do not bite people.

  • Japanese beetles are originally native to Japan. However, over the years they have found their way to major regions of the US, causing major damage to plants, trees, and grass in many states.