What Do Japanese Beetles Eat ?
Japanese beetles love to eat the foliage of the plants. They can feed on more than 300 species of plants, and also are vociferous eaters. The male beetle is not a picky eater, and can feed on almost any kind of leaf. Some beetles devour leaves and flowers that appear on trees, shrubs, plants and herbaceous plants. |
The beetles, whether male or female, tend to eat the foliage part of the leaf and they leave out the veins. They end up skeletonizing the leaf, and sometimes an entire plant. When the beetles grow in population, they will completely strip the plant off its foliage and make it look bare.
The larvae of the beetles feed on roots and also organic material found in the soil. Even the adult beetles tend to eat organic material found in crops, roots and grasses. They even eat turf grass. If there are too many of them, then they can destroy lawns, huge parks and even golf courses. They are rather destructive in nature.
People who maintain flower beds and grow fruits are well aware of the Japanese Beetles. These beetles start coming in to the corps from May. The especially love the roses. These beetles are pretty large and hence, they have a great appetite for food. They grow up to two inches long, and live only from six to eight weeks as adults. The Japanese beetles also feed on flowers like perennials. They eat the tip of the flowers and then work their way down.
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