Japanese Beetles - Ask Extension
I have six fruit trees. Five apple trees and one cherry (I call it a crabapple cherry tree). I have a large Japanese Beetle infestation. It is impr...
Knowledgebase
Japanese Beetles #938669
Asked July 09, 2026, 10:08 AM EDT
I have six fruit trees. Five apple trees and one cherry (I call it a crabapple cherry tree). I have a large Japanese Beetle infestation. It is impractical to manually pluck them from the trees because of the number of beetles present. I would like to have someone spray my trees, but I don't know if anyone would take such a small job. Can you help me by providing a list of people who would spray of detailed instructions on how to spray myself. Thank you very much.
Anoka County Minnesota
Expert Response
Thank you for writing.
First, never use pheromone based traps. These contain a sexual hormone that draws Japanese beetles to a lethal pesticide or mechanical trap. They catch a lot of beetles but they attract many times the number they kill from far away.
Second, the good news is that beetles are highly cyclical. They come for a year or two and then disappear.
Best reference
https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/japanese-beetles#biological-control-1591112
https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-news/managing-japanese-beetle-feeding
https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/japanese-beetles
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://ncipmhort.cfans.umn.edu/sites/ncipmhort.cfans.umn.edu/files/2021-10/2021%20Krischik%20Japanese-Beetle-Management-in-Minnesota.pdf
As to grub products:
The best timing is during the month or so before the adult beetles first emerge and start laying eggs (mid-June to mid-July in Minnesota). Chlorantraniliprole (such as Scott's Grub-Ex) is an effective, preventative insecticide that is also low risk for bees.
Imidacloprid or clothianidin are also effective if applied preventively, but they pose a severe hazard to bees and other pollinators foraging or nesting in treated lawns.
First, never use pheromone based traps. These contain a sexual hormone that draws Japanese beetles to a lethal pesticide or mechanical trap. They catch a lot of beetles but they attract many times the number they kill from far away.
Second, the good news is that beetles are highly cyclical. They come for a year or two and then disappear.
Best reference
https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/japanese-beetles#biological-control-1591112
https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-news/managing-japanese-beetle-feeding
https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/japanese-beetles
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://ncipmhort.cfans.umn.edu/sites/ncipmhort.cfans.umn.edu/files/2021-10/2021%20Krischik%20Japanese-Beetle-Management-in-Minnesota.pdf
As to grub products:
The best timing is during the month or so before the adult beetles first emerge and start laying eggs (mid-June to mid-July in Minnesota). Chlorantraniliprole (such as Scott's Grub-Ex) is an effective, preventative insecticide that is also low risk for bees.
Imidacloprid or clothianidin are also effective if applied preventively, but they pose a severe hazard to bees and other pollinators foraging or nesting in treated lawns.
