The rose chafer is a voracious feeder and will attack almost any plant although blossoms are the preferred.
The insect is worse on sandy soils. It overwinters as a larva and pupates in the spring. The adults emerge from the soil some time in June. Adult feeding lasts about a month. Eggs are deposited in grassy areas. The resulting larvae burrow into the soil and feed on grass roots.
Birds are sometimes killed by eating adult rose chafers which contain a chemical that affects the heart of small animals.
Pesticides do not give satisfactory control. The insects occur in such large numbers that pesticides kill off some insects but more move in from surrounding areas. Pesticides labeled for rose chafer are rotenone and methoxychlor.
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|Rose chafer - 41K|