Planting Trees That Resist Fruit Beetles

Posted on: 25 August 2016

Large fruit beetles are not only a nuisance, they're also extremely destructive. One infamous fruit beetle featured in the book "silent spring" is the Japanese fruit beetle. These beetles are a severe agricultural pest, and a lot of money has been spent on efforts to reduce their numbers. In the average yard, these large beetles can be scary looking when they come at you, making them an undesirable backyard visitor. If you want to keep these pesky beetles away from your yard as well as help reduce their population, there are certain trees you can plant that will keep them away.

Planting trees that tend to resist fruit beetles:

Trees that do not bear fruit and have a harder type of wood do better at resisting invasion by these large beetles. After all, they don't bear the beetle's main food: fruit. This doesn't mean you can't have a nice-looking tree in your yard, though. Flowering trees such as lilac, magnolia, and redbud trees are all resistant to these beetles. You can even plant some types of maple, such as red maple, from which you can extract sap.

Staying away from planting fruit- and nut-bearing trees

Because these beetles are known agricultural pests, if you do not need to grow your own fruit, then pass on planting a lot of fruit trees in your yard or garden. Trees that attract this pest are those with large fruits such as apples, apricots, and peaches. Japanese fruit beetles also tend to go after trees that produce larger types of nuts, such as chestnut trees. In addition to trees, several types of flowers and crops, such as roses, corn, and soybean are also attractive to this pest.

Planting native tree species:

Though native trees don't have any special resistance over these insects, they tend to be healthier when they're placed in the climates and soil conditions that they were designed for. Japanese beetles, for example, are especially attracted to weaker trees. They also like to attack trees with rotten, moldy, or diseased fruit. It's important that your trees stay as strong as possible so they can resist these and other pests.

When you've picked out the trees that you want for your yard, call a tree installer who will help you find the best place to plant them without adversely affecting the rest of your yard. A professional will know the best time of year to plant these trees and how to prepare the soil for tree installation. When you are planting a tree, it's important to make sure the tree starts out strong so that pests like fruit beetles don't take advantage of it before it can settle into its life in your yard.

Share