Rooted Ramblings: The beetles are coming

Rooted Ramblings: The beetles are coming

- Master Gardener Volunteers

By Debbie Barber, Portage County Master Gardener Volunteer

Every summer about this time, Japanese beetles descend upon our communities and begin to skeletonize leaves, flowers and fruits of many different plants. Some of their preferred plants include grapes and roses; linden, apple and cherry trees; basil, raspberries, hollyhocks and marigolds; and just about anything else they find. These pests are polyphagous, which means if they can’t find their favorite foods, anything will do. They can devour leaves on an entire tree in a single day during a peak infestation.

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