Japanese Beetles

Question: I just lost most of the fruit on a 5-year-old cherry tree to Japanese Beetles. I spotted the beetles in the tree eating the leaves. The tree has bird/squirrel netting.
 
Most of the cherries are gone, with the fruit gone, and the pits still on the stem. From my research birds swallow the whole cherry with the pit, and squirrels either eat the whole cherry, or pull it off the stem. Is this correct, or has another pest gotten to them? 
 
 
 
What is the best way to control the pest? 
 
From my research I understand they start as grubs. Should I be treating the area for grubs during this life cycle? 
 
We have a beehive about 30-40 feet from the tree. I am concerned that anything I spray might affect the bees. 
 
There is a three-year-old peach tree that is next to the cherry tree. It is unaffected so far. Would it be best for me to put the peaches in netting sacks such as the ones that were recommended to me by your agency a few years ago? If spraying is best, what should I spray and when.

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 02, 2024, 3:33 PM EDT
response: Yes, you are correct. You have Japanese beetle. Sevin will work to kill the beetles, but they have an aggregation pheromone, so they will keep coming back even with the spray. It will kill what is on the tree though... Sevin will kill bees too, so if you are worried about your bees, you are better not to spray. You can pick them off, but again, they will keep coming. They are likely coming from your lawn or expanse of grass/turf close. You could target the grubs as they feed on grass roots in the soil. Grub X is a great material, but it would have to be put down in the spring when the grubs come back to the surface to feed on the grass roots. Now, the adults are mating, and the females will lay eggs. Eggs will hatch and the larvae will feed a bit, but then they will move down into the soil to overwinter. Best time to target the grubs is spring when they come up to feed again. I think that you are losing fruit to birds or squirrels. Bird pecks are common, and they will leave the pits hanging from the stems. There will be partial cherries left once birds move in. They usually don't take the whole thing which is more likely squirrels. I don't see squirrels in orchards much, but if you leave in a more suburban place, it is possible. Birds are my guess though... as soon as fruit gets sugar or color, birds hone in, and if you only have one tree, they can clean you out in hours.  Japanese beetle will feed on developing peach fruit, so you could net the fruit with small bags to protect it. Again, I think picking off the beetles would be effective if you have the time. The only good thing about JB is that they don't last too long... they should be finished eating and mating in three weeks. Hope this helps a bit. Nikki Rothwell

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 02, 2024, 4:29 PM EDT
response: Thank you. The tree has bird netting on it which is what led me away from concluding it was birds. We did find a gap at the bottom where dogs got caught on it and pulled it open but it would be difficult for birds to get in that way.    Thanks for the info. We get grub treatment each spring. Smith landscaping said they are now getting a lot of calls on JB.        From: ask=<personal data hidden> <ask=<personal data hidden>> on behalf of Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> Sent: Tuesday, July 2, 2024 3:33:58 PM To: Don Bouffard <<personal data hidden>> Subject: Re: Japanese Beetles (#0145537)