UNIVERSITY OF FLOR'DA 
JAPANESE BEETLE || 1 11 1||||| ||| ||| ||||| ||||| 11 1||| ||||| ||||| 11 1||||| |||| I 
(Popillia japonica NewTnan) 3 1262 08721 6551 
Life History 
Japanese beetles overwinter as grubs, or larvae, in the soil at 
depths of 2 to 6 inches. During April they move nearer the surface 
and feed on the roots of plants. Early in June the grubs stop feed- 
ing, pass through a transformation stage, and then become the adult 
beetles. By early July the beetles are present in numbers, flying 
about and feeding extensively on the foliage, fruit, and blossoms of 
many trees and plants. During July and August the females go 
into the ground and deposit eggs; these hatch into small grubs, 
which feed on roots of grass and other plants. By fall these larvae 
are mostly full grown ; as winter approaches they move deeper into 
the soil. Grubs are more abundant in turf than in other situations 
and cause serious injury to lawns. 
Control of the Beetle 
Protective or repellent sprays. — The foliage of fruit, shade, and 
ornamental trees and shrubs can be protected from beetle attack by 
the use of protective or repellent sprays. These should be applied 
when the beetles first appear, and additional applications should be 
made as needed to maintain a protective coating on all portions of 
the plant subject to attack as long as the beetles are present. The 
most useful sprays are as follows : 
1. Powdered lead arsenate, 10 ounces; wheat flour, 6 ounces; water, 10 
gallons (for ornamental trees and shrubs). 
2. Powdered lead arsenate, 10 ounces; light-pressed fish oil, 2^2 ounces; 
water, 10 gallons (for ornamental trees and shrubs). 
3. Aluminum sulphate, V2 pound; hydrated lime, 2 pounds; water, 10 gal- 
lons (for ornamental trees and shrubs, bearing apple, plum, and 
cherry trees, grapevines, small fruits, and flowering plants). 
4. Powdered derris (4 percent rotenone), 5V, ounces; water, 10 gallons (for 
bearing apple, plum, cherry, and peach trees, bearing grapes and small 
fruits, and flowering plants). 
Contact sprays. — Contact sprays are of value in killing beetles . 
if care is taken to actually hit them with the liquid, but they may not 
afford satisfactory protection of foliage. The contact sprays in- 
clude: Spray 4, listed above; commercial fish-oil soap or a good 
grade of household soap, 3 pounds to 10 gallons of water; and 
the commercial pyrethrum sprays, at rates recommended by the 
manufacturers. 
Control of Grubs 
Lawns can be protected from injury by Japanese beetle grubs 
for a 5-year period by making one application of lead arsenate at 
the rate of 10 pounds per 1,000 square feet of lawn. The poison 
should be mixed with 25 times its volume of moist sand, soil, or 
other suitable material, and broadcast by hand. 
Cautions in the Use of Lead Arsenate 
Lead arsenate is poisonous to man and animals, and children or 
animals should not be allowed access to it. Great care should be 
taken to avoid getting lead arsenate into the mouth or into cuts or 
abrasions of the skin. Grass should be washed thoroughly with a 
hose, after the treatment is applied, to remove any poisonous resi- 
due. Domestic animals should not be allowed to feed on treated 
grass or on or under sprayed trees or shrubbery while any poisonous 
residue is visible. 8-12518 
October 1938 U. S. Government Printing Office 
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. Price 5 cents 
