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Thanks to last year's mild weather, Japanese beetles' numbers are increasing this year, and they are bringing destruction.
Shubber Ali, CEO of Garden for Wildlife in Merrifield, Va., part of the National Wildlife Federation, said these beetles damage plants by eating them. And, beetles attract more beetles, which can lead to infestation. Humidity increases the beetles' appetite.
Haley Shoemaker, Ohio State University Extension educator in Mahoning and Columbiana counties, said beetles attract more beetles by releasing pheromones.
"They are most active in July and August," she said.
Ali said the amount of eggs the beetles laid last year contributed to the problem.
"In adulthood, a female lays 40 to 60 eggs," he said.
The grubs then eat grass roots, which destroys lawns, and become beetles in the summer.
Ali said because these insects are major consumers of plants, they eat plants other insects eat, putting other insects at risk.
Ohio State University Extension educator Lee Beers in Trumbull County, however, noted these insects also can have a positive impact: "They like to eat the multiflora rose, an invasive species of plant," he said.
Elevating lawnmower cutting height can help prevent grubs from "root-chewing," according to Ali.
He also said to water lawns in the fall instead of the spring.
Shoemaker said you can prevent the beetles from attacking plants and trees.
"If you have a new tree or bush that you're specifically trying to protect, you can put a fine mesh netting over it to prevent the beetles from coming in," she said.
She also said these beetles can eat more than 300 species of plants.
In gardens, Beers said they eat "roses, sweet corn, soybeans and green beans."
Ali said drowning is the most efficient way to kill these beetles.
"In the morning, knock the beetles off plants into a container of soapy water," he said.
Shoemaker said traps aren't efficient in getting rid of beetles.
"While traps kill Japanese beetles, they also attract Japanese beetles," she said. "You will probably attract more than what you started with."
Beers said chemicals don't work well either.
"You will have to apply chemical directly to the beetles, not the plants," he said.
These insects mostly stay outdoors, but you can keep them outside by keeping windows and doors closed at all times.