Getting creative to collect Japanese beetle

Many of you are talking about the high numbers of Japanese beetles in Iowa this year. They have increased exponentially in some of our small plot trials in central Iowa since last week. The dual-lure pheromone trap from Trece is one way to collect these adults. The lures are extremely attractive to Japanese beetle and can draw in adults from a mile away. So the traps are ideal for first detection in a new area, but not recommended as a management tool.

This Japanese beetle pheromone trap can fill up in about an hour right now in Story County, Iowa. Photo by Brent Pringnitz, Iowa State University.

In case some of you are wanted to see just HOW MANY Japanese beetles you can collect, a regular pheromone trap just won't cut it because it fills up too fast. Well, a few people have taken it to another level to see how many GALLONS they could trap in one day. Rex De Bruin and Chris Sparks at BASF Plant Science in Story County replaced the green collection container with a 13-gallon trash bag. They were able to fill it over night. We've done this in the past to use the beetles for lab assays and it is not a good smell.

This modified Japanese beetle pheromone trap (13-gallon trash bag) was filled overnight. The trap entrance was clogged with more beetles! Photos by Rex De Bruin, BASF.