flying garden beetles? what are they? help

gypsyboy · Fri Jun 02, 2006 7:27 am

hello ive jst moved and have a lovely garden but have become infested with small flying beetles which appear to have a gold coloured back.
these are a pain and need help to id these critters and how to get rid of them!
the resident magpies love them but are being over run,the critters seem to be mainly on the grass.
help please I'm new to this forum and gardens in general.

opabinia51 · Mon Jun 05, 2006 11:00 pm

Are the beetles feeding on your plants?

gypsyboy · Wed Jun 07, 2006 7:33 am

hello they don't seem to be,they seem to be on the grass.
to be honest they were coming out when it was hot but this last week or 2 ive not seen them. any ideas what they are and how to get rid?

opabinia51 · Wed Jun 07, 2006 9:07 pm

Unfortunately my guide to north american beetles is locked away in storage amongst 17 other boxes of books so, I don't know per se. I could ask Neville Winchester, the resident entomologist on campus though.

gypsyboy · Thu Jun 08, 2006 4:16 pm

cheers for your reply I will wait till you speak to your fella.
thanks

opabinia51 · Thu Jun 08, 2006 8:55 pm

Do you have any pictures? That could really help.

gypsyboy · Fri Jun 09, 2006 4:05 pm

I will try cheers

opabinia51 · Fri Jun 09, 2006 4:15 pm

No worries.

aucircle · Tue Jun 13, 2006 10:34 pm

I posted on the "Tips for Gardening" under the topic "bugs eating my hibiscus" and they sent a pic of my beetle which turned out to be a japanese beetle. They eat my hibiscus, my knockout roses my geraniums from what I am able to tell (now that I am conscious of them) they really aren't all that picky about what they will not eat. They are in my bermuda grass if they aren't eating my plants. They all recommened neem oil. I would check that pic under my post and see if that is your guy.

opabinia51 · Tue Jun 13, 2006 11:30 pm

Thanks Auricle, be sure to give the neem oil thread a read under general topics.

Newt · Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:20 am

Hi Gypsyboy,

If the Japanese beetles are all over the lawn, then it sounds like you have quite an infestation. They live in the soil over the winter as white grubs and come out of the soil at this time of the year. Use Bt to kill the slugs. The best time to treat is in the fall.
https://www.planetnatural.com/site/xdpy/kb/japanese-beetle-control.html
https://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/publications/grubs/

Newt