Japanese beetles proving pesky in parts of Missouri

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- They look like small June bugs, but they eat up leaves on hundreds of plants, including corn and soybeans.

Japanese beetles have been in southwest Missouri for a few years, but this year they seem to be particularly voracious.

The beetles will eat about 300 types of plants, including roses, blueberries, grapes, linden trees, corn and soybeans.

Population booms have been reported in Springfield, Sedalia and the Kansas City areas this year. But University of Missouri-Columbia entomologist Ben Puttler doesn't know why the beetle problem seems to have become worse.

Insects moving into a new area often have population booms, he said, but their numbers usually return to a normal level after the bugs become accustomed to the new habitat.

The Japanese beetle first appeared in New Jersey in 1916, and they spread westward at five to 10 miles a year. The beetles were in northern Stone County by the 1990s and moved into other parts of southwest Missouri in the last few years.

Puttler expects numbers of Japanese beetle adults to peak soon as they continue to emerge from the ground, where as grubs they infest grass.

"They'll be around for at least the next two or three weeks, with the peak in the next 10 days," he said.

Puttler said one way to combat the beetles is the pesticide Sevin, or carabril.

But Busch recommends gardeners get their hands dirty.

"If you're just trying to protect your vegetables, you go out and visually inspect them and pick them off," he said. "They're not going to hurt you. Have a bucket of soapy water handy. Drop them in, and that drowns them."

Also, Puttler noted plants can rebound from a beetle attack after the bugs are gone.

"Generally, it will be unsightly for that particular year," he said. "Most plants will put on new growth for the rest of the season."

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Information from: Springfield News-Leader, http://www.springfieldnews-leader.com