Preventive Control
Natural enemies
Parasitoids
Tiphia wasp
Predators
- Ants
- Ground beetle
- Birds
- Some people
Bacteria
Bacillus popilliae and B. lentimorbus are commercially available microbial insecticide products that kill grubs and adult Japanese beetles. Infected grubs are filled with milky white liquid full of bacterial spores. They inoculate the soil as they move (Ellis; Bradley, 1996: pp. 460-461). The advantages of using commercial preparations of
B. popilliae are; they are host
specific meaning, only effective against Japanese beetles and their effect is longer lasting (Cornell University, 2003).
Fungus
Beauveria bassiana is naturally occurring
fungus found in the soils worldwide. It causes the 'White muscadine disease' in insects. When the
spores come in contact with the skin of the host insect, they grow and consume the nutrients of the insect, eventually killing it. The white
molds covering the insect's body are the new infected spores that are then release to the environment.
B. bassiana is found to be infesting Japanese beetle (Mahr, 1997).
Cultural and management practices
- Ensure proper drainage. Female beetles prefer to lay eggs on moist decaying organic matter and on moist soil. The grubs also love moist soil, especially with decaying organic matter.
- Clean areas of turf weeds and pasture grasses when an infestation is high, as these are also the preferred laying sites of the adults.