Rose chafers are out and hungry

Editor’s note: This article is from the archives of the MSU Crop Advisory Team Alerts. Check the label of any pesticide referenced to ensure your use is included.

Rose chafers are out in full force now. In addition to roses, the beetles love to eat crabapples and mountain ash. They chew the leaf tissue between the veins turning the leaves into lace. Rose chafers prefer some types of crabapples over others. Their favorites include: Candied Apple, Henry Kohankie, Baskatong, Red Baron, Strawberry Parfait, White Cascade, White Candle, Velvet Pillar, Red Silver and Indian Magic. Rose chafers usually feed heavily for about two weeks before their ranks begin to thin. By early July few will be left. Feeding damage can be stopped by spraying once with Tempo or Sevin.

Rose chafer
Rose chafer.
Photo credit: T. Murray

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