JAPANESE BEETLE 
( Popillia japonica Newman) 
Life History 
Japanese beetles spend about 10 months of the year as grubs in 
the soil, feeding on the roots of grasses and other plants. Early 
in June the grubs stop feeding and go through a resting, or pupal, 
stage, at the end of which they become beetles. By the first part 
of J uly the beetles are flying about in numbers and feeding exten- 
sively on the foliage, fruit, and blossoms of many trees and plants. 
During July and August the females go into the ground and lay eggs 
which hatch into small grubs. Grubs are usually more abundant 
in turf than in other situations. 
Control of the Beetle 
The foliage of trees, shrubs, and flowering plants can be protected 
from beetle attack by spraying or dusting. The most useful sprays 
are as follows : 
1. DDT (50-percent wettable powder), 3 ounces (16 tablespoonfuls); 
water, 10 gallons (for fruit and shade trees, shrubs, and flowering 
plants). 
2. Lead arsenate, 10 ounces (30 tablespoonfuls) ; wheat flour, 6 ounces 
(24 tablespoonfuls), or light-pressed fish oil, 2% fluid ounces (5 table- 
spoonfuls) ; water, 10 gallons (for shade trees and shrubs). 
3. Powdered derris (4-percent rotenone), 5 ounces (30 tablespoonfuls); 
water, 10 gallons (for apple, plum, cherry, and peach trees, grapes, 
and small fruits when fruit is about to ripen, and flowering plants). 
Where spraying equipment is not available, apply a 5-percent 
DDT dust or hydrated dusting lime. 
Apply the spray or dust when the beetles first appear. Repeat as 
needed to maintain a protective coating on all parts of the plant 
subject to attack, until the beetles disappear. Dusts must be 
applied more often than sprays. 
Control of Grubs 
Use of Poisons . — Lawns may be protected from injury by Japa- 
nese beetle grubs for at least 4 years with one application of either 
DDT or lead arsenate. Use 6 pounds of a 10-percent DDT powder 
or 10 pounds of lead arsenate to each 1,000 square feet of lawn 
area. Mix the material with several times its volume of slightly 
moist sand, soil, or other suitable material, and apply evenly to the 
lawn with a garden-type fertilizer distributor or by hand. Wash 
the material in with a hose. 
Use of Milky Disease . — Japanese beetle grubs are subject to a 
number of diseases, the most important of which is the milky 
disease. Several dust mixtures containing spores of the organism 
causing this disease are available commercially. They are prefer- 
ably applied by community groups, but may be used by individuals. 
Directions are on the package. The disease usually works slowly, 
and its full effect may not be evident for several years. Although 
it kills grubs in the soil, it does not prevent beetles from flying in 
from untreated areas. It is harmless to all other forms of plant 
and animal life. 
PRECAUTIONS IN USING DDT AND LEAD ARSENATE 
DDT and lead arsenate are poisons, but when used as recommended are not 
likely to injure human beings, pets, wildlife, or vegetation. Avoid inhaling 
the dust. Protect the hands with leather or rubber gloves. Keep the hands 
away from the mouth and wash them thoroughly before eating. Do not spray 
fruits with DDT later than 2 weeks before picking. Wash sprayed or dusted 
fruits or vegetables before eating them. Keep the poison in plainly labeled 
closed containers away from food products, and where children or pets cannot 
reach them. Keep small children and domestic animals away from poisoned 
turf until it has been watered or rain has fallen. 
February 1948 U. S. Government Printing Office 
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington 25, D. C. Price, 50. 
1C) 54363-1 tJ. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
