What are these insects?
These insects are known as false Japanese beetles. Although they look similar to Japanese beetles, false Japanese beetles are a little darker in color and lack the white patches on the sides and tip of the abdomen that Japanese beetles possess. False Japanese beetles are found in areas with sandy soil, such as Anoka, Sherburne, and Stearns counties.
Are they harmful to plants?
False Japanese beetles feed on many types of flowers, especially white-colored ones. Their feeding generally will not kill plants, although it can make them look unattractive. If feeding is severe, plants can be injured.
Are they dangerous to people?
They are not dangerous to people but they sometimes can be annoying. False Japanese beetles are good fliers. In areas where they are common, they may accidently land on people as they move between plants. These beetles may pinch our skin or accidently prick us with their legs, making us think they have bitten us. Any biting sensation is very localized and very short-lived.
When is control necessary?
If your flowers are being severely attacked by false Japanese beetles, you may want to protect them against these beetles, especially if you would like to preserve the flowers' appearance. If you are not seeing too many, you may just ignore them. If you decide to treat the beetles, management is often difficult. You can try to pick them off the plants and put the into a pail of soapy water. This can be frustrating if there are a lot of beetles and more keep flying into the yard. You can also try to erect a cheesecloth barrier around the plants you want to protect. This may not practical if you have a lot of plants. Finally, you can spray the beetles with an approved insecticide. Permethrin (Eight), carbaryl (Sevin), acephate (Orthene) are effective insecticides. Repeat applications will probably be necessary. There is no practical control for nuisance beetles when they are actively flying and landing on people.
