- Gold shiny rose chafer
- Green Shield Beetle
- mint leaf beetle
- Red-necked Grain Chicken
- Silver Green Weevil
- frequently asked Questions
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If you find small or large green beetles on your plants, they may be pests. In order to contain possible damage, you need to know the appropriate measures to combat the bugs.
In a nutshell
- different beetles available
- different harmful effect
- Collection recommended
- use predators
- use biological pesticides
Gold shiny rose chafer
One of the best-known green beetles is the golden luster or common rose chafer (Cetonia aurata). As the name suggests, this large beetle specializes in roses (Rosa) and other rose plants (Rosaceae) such as many fruit trees. Other food plants are:
- Umbelliferae (Apiaceae)
- Elder (Sambucus)
They do not pose a threat as they feed exclusively on pollen and plant sap. In rare cases, petals are eaten. It can be recognized by the following features:
- green to golden green
- shiny metallic
- red-gold belly
- white spotted and striped elytra
- strong physique
- 15 to 20 mm in size
If you want to prevent the beetles from settling, you can simply collect them and release them again far enough. Since they are under protection, they must not be killed or injured. Keep an eye out for the golden-green beetles over the following flight times:
- April to September
- less often until October
Notice: Even the larvae of the rose chafer pose no danger to your plants, as they do not eat roots or other healthy plant parts. The grubs only eat rotting wood, compost or wood residues such as shavings or flour.
Green Shield Beetle
The green tortoiseshell beetle (Cassida viridis) belongs to the leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) and is not immediately recognizable with its round body shape and leaf-green coloration. The damage caused by the beetle, which can be up to one centimeter in size, immediately indicates an infestation:
- numerous holes in leaves
- can connect
- Leaf edges are eaten less often
- plant weakens
The infestation can be seen on the following food plants from May to the end of August:
- Asteraceae such as sunflowers (Helianthus annuus)
- Labiatae (Lamiaceae) such as wood ziest (Stachys sylvatica)
Although the bugs aren't easy to spot, you need to collect them as effectively as possible. Don't forget to collect the spiked larvae as well, so they don't pupate. You can also use a pesticide made from neem oil. Neem oil ensures that the animals stop eating and peeling off. The spray is made and used as follows:
- 10 ml neem oil with rimulgan (emulsifier)
- 1 liter of water
- mix well
- fill in spray bottle
- apply on dry, cloudy days
- ideally in the morning
- spray entire plant
- Repeat a few days later if necessary
- Infestation usually stopped after a few days
finished neem oil for combat
Prevention is therefore much more effective than fighting the tortoiseshell beetle directly, so that an infestation does not occur. The following points help to prevent the pests:
- Thoroughly dig up soil around affected plants in spring
- also applies to new seeding
- collect and dispose of hibernating beetles
- comply with crop rotation
- settle caterpillar flies
- Fertilize plants with nettle manure
mint leaf beetle
The mint leaf beetle (Chrysolina coerulans) is a beetle whose food plants come exclusively from the mint genus (Mentha). The beetle, which can be up to one centimeter in size, can be recognized by its spherical shape with curved elytra. The shiny blue to copper-green color and the long feelers immediately catch the eye. They are active from April to August. The following damage to your mints can occur:
- round holes
- several per sheet
- Diameter: up to 1 cm
- defoliation possible
- weakened plant
There are many ways to combat mint leaf beetles. As soon as you discover the damage pattern, be sure to keep an eye out for the bugs and collect them. This also applies to the larvae. In this way, you can noticeably reduce the infestation. Other methods of controlling the mint leaf beetle include the following:
- Thoroughly cut back the mint
- Dispose of leftovers
- water thoroughly
- apply sprays
The appropriate spray is therefore made from the following ingredients and used several times a day until the infestation is contained:
- 1 liter of water
- 20 ml biodegradable washing-up liquid
- mix thoroughly
- Pour into a spray bottle and use
ready soft soap solution
Notice: Healthy mints are less susceptible to mint leaf beetle infestation. They grow back quickly and can quickly compensate for the loss caused by the feeding tracks.
Red-necked Grain Chicken
The red-necked grain beetle (Oulema melanopus) is a maximum of five millimeters long and can be recognized by its intense colouring:
- green to blue-green elytra, dotted
- red pronotum
- dark base color
These are small beetles with an elongated body shape and very pronounced antennae. An infestation can be recognized by the rectangular holes in the leaves of the host plants from spring to autumn, such as:
- Barley (Hordeum vulgare)
- Oats (Avena)
- Rye (Secale cereale)
- Wheat (Triticum)
- Wild grasses such as perennial lork (Lolium perenne)
If you get an infestation from the grain beetle, you don't really have to worry. They do little damage to grasses in the garden. Since these are quite small, green beetles, they are also difficult to pick up and remove by hand. The ideal means of combating this is the settlement of predators, who make short work of the beetles and their larvae:
- Lacewing larvae (Chrysopidae)
- ground beetles (Carabidae)
- Ladybird (Coccinellidae)
- Assassin bugs (Reduviidae)
- Ichneumonidae (Ichneumonidae)
Silver Green Weevil
The silver weevil (Phyllobius argentatus) is a common weevil species (Curculionidae), which is therefore recognizable by its typical physique. The green beetles can be found from mid-April to the end of September and are clearly recognizable by their coloration:
- green-gold scales
- black base color
- yellow to red-brown antennae and legs
After pupating, they feed on the leaf margins of deciduous trees from the following plant orders:
- Birch family (Betulaceae)
- Beech family (Fagaceae)
- rose family
- Elm family (Ulmaceae)
- Willow family (Salicaceae)
Fortunately, the silver weevil is one of the weevil species that do not damage plants as much as, for example, the vine weevil (Otiorhynchus sulcatus). An infestation is only dangerous when the beetles show up in large numbers, which is rarely the case for most deciduous trees. In this case, collect the adult specimens from the plants at night, as they only come out of their hiding places at this time. You will need the following items for this:
- flashlight
- bucket
If you discover a large number of adult green weevils, you should also do something about the brood. The following methods help against the larvae:
- use nematodes
- Dig up the soil thoroughly and keep it moist
- settle predators: birds, hedgehogs or shrews
Make sure that predators, such as hedgehogs, populate your garden.
frequently asked Questions
Do stink bugs count as beetles?No. Although stink bugs (Pentatomidae) can look similar to beetles due to their physique, they belong to the order Hemiptera. In general, plants get along well with the bugs. However, if it is a serious infestation, you should do something about it.
What other green insects are considered plant pests?In addition to the beetle species mentioned, you should pay particular attention to plant lice (Sternorrhyncha), thrips (Thysanoptera) and other plant suckers such as cicadas (Auchenorrhyncha). A large number of other lice, which are difficult to see with the naked eye, can therefore be difficult for your plants. An example is the cup scale insect (Saissetia coffeae).
Which green bugs are harmless?There is a manageable number of large and small green beetles that do not pose a threat to your plants and will certainly beautify your garden fauna. These include, for example, the blue-green case beetle (Cryptocephalus sericeus) in gold-green-blue metallic shimmer, the glossy jewel beetle (Anthaxia nitidula) or the gold ground beetle (Carabus auratus). Beneficial insects such as the pupa robbers (Calosoma) are also included.