Lots of folks have been asking why the rose chafer wasn’t on the list of good and bad bugs that appeared in my last column. So here you go.

The rose chafer, also known as the rose beetle and the rose bug, eats many different types of flowers and fruits. It is slender, up to about ½-inch long, and is tan to pale green with orange legs. It starts out as a grub with a brown head and is about ¾-inch long.

They emerge in late May to early June, like sandy soil and feed for about four weeks. They lay eggs, die and then the larvae overwinter in the soil.

They feed mainly on roses and peonies and leave irregular-shaped holes in the leaves. They also go after berries and grapes. They do not damage lawns or landscape plants.

If this is a pest you have had, you probably still do and should check for it now. You can pick the chafers after spraying with soapy water which slows them down. If you do not want to use insecticides, remove the top five or six inches of soil around the plants most heavily infested and replace with new garden soil. You should not do this until well into July to get as many larvae as possible. This will help next year but not this one.

According to several online sites, an insecticide containing garlic oil, canola oil or kaolin will be effective against rose chafer beetles. Please read the instructions carefully and limit your use.

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