The June beetle, more formally known as the Japanese beetle, is a pretty but destructive pest. About 1/2 an inch to 3/4 of an inch long, this shiny green iridescent (only iridescent on the underside) beetle has an appetite for destruction. It was introduced by accident to New Jersey in 1916 and has since spread all over the eastern U.S. It is one of the few insects completely destructive to plants throughout its whole life, eating grass roots as a baby and chewing on over 300 different types of plant, including my grape vines, as an adult. Americans spend over $460 million a year trying to control them. I have a tough time myself try to get rid of the darn things. Besides my grape vines, they eat our fruit trees too. If you want to help stop the invasion, plant geranium plants in your yard. These plants contain a substance that stuns the beetles and makes it easy for predators to get them.
The June beetle, more formally known as the Japanese beetle, is a pretty but destructive pest. About 1/2 an inch to 3/4 of an inch long, this shiny green iridescent (only iridescent on the underside) beetle has an appetite for destruction. It was introduced by accident to New Jersey in 1916 and has since spread all over the eastern U.S. It is one of the few insects completely destructive to plants throughout its whole life, eating grass roots as a baby and chewing on over 300 different types of plant, including my grape vines, as an adult. Americans spend over $460 million a year trying to control them. I have a tough time myself try to get rid of the darn things. Besides my grape vines, they eat our fruit trees too. If you want to help stop the invasion, plant geranium plants in your yard. These plants contain a substance that stuns the beetles and makes it easy for predators to get them. 
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