Harmful beetles on apple trees or not? - Ask Extension
I'm wondering if these beetles in my apple tree blossoms are harmful or not, and if so, how do I get rid of them, preferably naturally and organically...
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Harmful beetles on apple trees or not? #794992
Asked June 08, 2022, 7:13 PM EDT
I'm wondering if these beetles in my apple tree blossoms are harmful or not, and if so, how do I get rid of them, preferably naturally and organically? Is there another bug I can release on them that will take care of it, or something natural I can spray? Any prompt help would be much appreciated. We planted two trees just last year, and we're new to the apple tree thing.
Fairbanks North Star County Alaska
Expert Response
Hi Kim,
Your beetles appear to be a species called Orsodacne atra, sometimes called the "ravenous leaf beetle". These beetles feed on pollen of various flowers, and likely do some pollination through that activity which can be beneficial, but also may feed on flower parts which could be a detriment. To my knowledge these beetles are not known to be a serious pest of apple trees, so for removal I would recommend removing the beetles by hand by shaking them off of your tree. At this time I wouldn't recommend applying a pesticide as it could be detrimental to the other pollinators visiting your flowers at this time.
You can find more info about this beetle here: https://bugguide.net/node/view/13598
Alex
Your beetles appear to be a species called Orsodacne atra, sometimes called the "ravenous leaf beetle". These beetles feed on pollen of various flowers, and likely do some pollination through that activity which can be beneficial, but also may feed on flower parts which could be a detriment. To my knowledge these beetles are not known to be a serious pest of apple trees, so for removal I would recommend removing the beetles by hand by shaking them off of your tree. At this time I wouldn't recommend applying a pesticide as it could be detrimental to the other pollinators visiting your flowers at this time.
You can find more info about this beetle here: https://bugguide.net/node/view/13598
Alex
