Insect Questions - Here!!

K. so every once in a while I get asked insect questions.....your garden variety usually. I love to answer them, so if you have one...by all means send it to me. It is just one way i justify all the money and 4 years spent on an agriculture degree.

BUT....here is the answer to a riddle that Bruce had for me while he was weeding the gardens at the church- thanks Bruce!! It seems the canna lilies and the roses at the church were being eaten....but by what? We found these little wonders on the roses eating small holes.

It is called the Japanese Beetle.

Popillia japonica

The beetle species Popillia japonica is commonly known as the Japanese beetle. It is about 1.5 cm (0.6 inches) long and 1 cm (0.4 inches) wide, with iridescent copper-colored elytra and green thorax and head. It is not very destructive in Japan, where it is controlled by natural enemies, but in America it is a serious pest of about 200 species of plants, including rose bushes, grapes, [hops], canna, crape myrtles, and other plants.

SO BRUCE....I got bad news. Planting Canna, and roses together means.....hungry, hungry, Japanese Beetles....

BUT.

There may be good news.

During the larval stage, the Japanese beetle lives in lawns and other grasslands, where it eats the roots of grass. During that stage, it is susceptible to a fatal disease called milky spore disease, This may mean nothing....but at least it is something.

BUT wait there is more.....

Natural repellents include catnip, chives, garlic, and tansy[3], as well as the remains of dead beetles. Additionally, when present in small numbers, the beetles may be manually controlled using a soap-water spray mixture.

other good news....

There is only one generation per year. Adults emerge from the soil in late June through mid-July, feeding actively in sunny locations for 30-45 days

For further information....

check out omafra which has info on almost every insect found in Canada

now you know.