Japanese Beetles

I may not be moving about too well these days, but thankfully others are out in the trees seeing what's going on.

Jeff Owen has told me that he is seeing Japanese beetles on the terminals feeding. He's seeing this in several tree fields to a greater extent than most years.

Japanese beetles are just one of a number of terminal feeders. They tend to feed toward the top of the tree and terminal, creating irregular patches, though in this picture which I took years ago, they are feeding on older growth. Their feeding is swallow, but will result in discoloration and sap flowing.

Usually by the time you notice the feeding, they have done as much damage as they are going to do. They aren't anything to worry about. However, if you are seeing the insects in your trees, you can spot treat with any good insecticide. A backpack mistbower or backpack sprayer is sufficient. When using a backpack sprayer, I like a hollow cone nozzle for applying insecticides.