What are Japanese Beetles attracted to?
Food Sources Japanese Beetles
are attracted to
Japanese Beetle Adults will feed on trees, shrubs, and flowers. Grubs feed on the roots of grasses below the surface of the soil.
Colors Japanese Beetles are attracted to
Light colors especially white and yellow rose flowers tend to attract more Japanese Beetle Adults than darker colors.
Landscape Plants Likely to be Attractive to Japanese Beetles
- Japanese Maple
- Norway Maple
- Horse Chestnut
- Hollyhock
- Gray Birch
- American Chestnut
- Rose-of-Sharon, Rose Althea
- Black Walnut
- Flowering Crabapple
- Apple
- London Planetree
- Lombardy Poplar
- Prunus Species (Cherry, black cherry, plum, peach, etc.)
- Roses
- Sassafras
- American Mountain Ash
- American Linden
- American Elm
- English Elm
- Grape
Plants Seldom Damaged by Japanese Beetles
- Boxelder
- Red Maple
- Silver Maple
- Boxwood
- Shagbark Hickory
- Flowering Dogwood
- Persimmon
- Euonymus
- White Ash
- Green Ash
- Holly
- Butternut
- Tuliptree
- American Sweetgum
- Magnolia
- Red Mulberry
- White Poplar
- Common Pear
- White Oak
- Scarlet Oak
- Red Oak
- Black Oak
- American Elder
- Common Lilac
- Most Evergreen Ornamentals
Pheremones
Adult Japanese Beetles mainly focus on eating and reproducing. Outside of food attractants, sex pheromones will quickly draw their attention. Most trapping mechanisms on the market for Japanese Beetle adults contain both pheromones and floral attractants.