|
Japanese Beetles
A healthy lawn, while being the neighbour's envy, often
requires a homeowners dedication and effort.
During the summer months, it is possible that your grass
turns brown and patchy. There are various beetles that attack
the roots of grass causing damage to lawns. Depending on
where you live, the May beetle, June Beetle and European
chafers are some beetles that cause harm to lawns. To determine
the cause, you can conduct this simple test: Cut one square
foot of grass and roll it over. If you find white grubs
underneath, the damage to your lawn has been caused by the
Japanese Beetle.
The Japanese Beetle is native to Japan and was first found
in the United States in 1916, in New Jersey. It measures
about 1.5 cm long and 1cm wide.It has shiny copper colored
wings and a shiny green thorax and head.It is during the
larval stage that the beetle feeds on the roots of grass.Today,
it ranks as one of the most widely spread turf pests in
the United States.
The Japanese Beetle begins its activity in the summertime,
when the female beetle starts laying eggs. She lays them
at intervals, upto a total of 40-60 eggs. These hatch in
the middle of August, when the white grubs emerge, to begin
feasting on the roots of the grass.This causes browning
of the grass, leaving large brown patches on your lawn.The
grubs continue to forage on the roots of the grass till
late October, when they burrow deep into the ground, emerging
again only in the month of April. During the months of June
and July, the adult beetle flies away to mate, often in
flowers such as the Hollyhock and Rose.The life cycle of
the Beetle is typically one year.
While the Beetle itself does not harm man, precautions need
to be taken when pesticide is being used to get rid of it.
You should make sure that the treated lawn will be kept
clear of all human traffic. Pets should be kept indoors.Trampling
on the pesticide and subsequent inhalation of the chemicals
by humans or animals can cause illness. Today,there are
many different pesticides in the market, to choose from.
Some of the ones that we recommend are:
Merit:
The test results for this new-to-the-market pesticide have
been favorable.It kills grubs, is safer than other products.
Though it takes time to work, the effects are long lasting.
Milky
Spore Disease:
This is a chemical pesticide that is safer than most others.
It contains bT chemical which effectively destroys both
the grub as well as the caterpillar. Downside –
Limited to working only in places where the weather is
warm.
Nematodes
These are tiny worms that destroy the grubs.If you have
a local store where you can purchase these, it is probably
the best choice. The nematodes require certain bacteria
to thrive. Also, shipping and handling are other factors
that need to be considered.
It should be noted that if you have to use chemicals,
talk to your local nursery to make sure that your selection
is safe and approved.
|
|