Crape Myrtle Japanese Beetle Identification and Control

Hand-pick: Daily removal reduces attraction
Traps: 50+ feet from trees (attract more if closer)
Grub control: Milky spore (Bacillus popilliae)
Adult sprays: Sevin, neem, cyfluthrin, permethrin

"Mutated stink bug" on crape myrtle = Japanese beetle. Copper-brown, ½", metallic green head. Adults eat flowers, skeletonize leaves May-August.

Life Cycle

Insecticide application most reliable for quick knockdown. Beetle ID photo here. Rotate chemicals to prevent resistance.

Trees: Japanese Beetle Control on Purple Sand Cherry; Why Are My Japanese Beetles So Large? Identifying Look-Alikes; Beetles Girdling Mimosa Twigs: Twig Girdler vs. Twig Pruner; Deadheading Crape Myrtle for Repeat Blooms; Japanese Beetle Devastation on Plum Tree: Systemic Protection; Japanese Beetles on Crepe Myrtle: Rotate Insecticides, Manage Mites; Transplanting Wild Crape Myrtles in Texas; Managing Douglas Fir Beetle Infestation on Steep Lakeside Slopes; Beetles on Dogwood and Maple: Likely Japanese Beetles—Foliar Spray or Systemic; Stop Japanese Beetles: Effective Control Methods

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