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Rose
chafers are a type of scarab beetle that is found in sandy areas of the
state. In June, adult beetles appear
and feed
on a wide variety of plants. Adult rose chafers feed on grapes, fruit trees, roses,
raspberries, and many flowering plants. Leaves are often left
skeletonized with veins and small amounts of tissue left behind. Grubs
do no economic damage and feed on the roots of plants in old fields,
pastures and other open areas.
Adults appear during the early part of June and live about 3 weeks. They can fly considerable distances in search of plants to feed on. Many times large numbers of beetles will be concentrated on a single plant. Grubs are in the soil and are not found in lawns. Most feeding is on weeds and non crop plants.
Plants can be sprayed with insecticides containing carbaryl (Sevin), methoxychlor or permethrin. These will likely need to be reapplied every 3-4 days.
Valuable plants can be covered with insect barrier netting such as cheesecloth, floating row cover or other materials. This will force the beetles to look elsewhere for food.
A commercial rose chafer trap can be used to draw beetles away from plants. Place traps30 ft away from plants that need protection and use one trap per 200 ft of yard perimeter. This is a type of Japanese beetle trap with a special rose chafer attractant. Traps run between $7.00 and $15 dollars depending on the design. One source is Great Lakes IPM (517) 268-5693.
