African Fruit Beetle

Distinctive brown-and-yellow.

Holes in fruit which results in fruit spoils.

Diurnal

Scarab beetles can provide an array of benefits to the wider ecosystem and should be tolerated in low numbers. They also have an array of natural enemies to help keep their numbers at bay. Proper lawn maintenance may be beneficial at keeping grub numbers low. General feeding, regular watering, aerating and scarifying are good maintenance practices. Removal of leaf litter and plant debris can also help make green spaces less attractive to beetles looking for a good hiding spot. Chafer grubs thrive in dry soil, so regularly watering your lawn to keep the soil moist will help to deter them and will aid the grass recovery. Following the end of the warm season (end of the summer to autumn), you should scarify and aerate flower beds and turf. This should reveal any overwintering larvae in the soil. They can then be collected and placed somewhere for the birds or relocated elsewhere. It's thought that compressing the lawn in spring can make it difficult for females to lay eggs in the soil come summer. Placing a mesh-type netting around trees and shrubs may help to prevent damage by adult beetles. If available, beneficial nematodes can be diluted in water and sprinkled on lawns. The Hadeda-ibis is known to be a predator of these beetles. Also, if you have chickens in your garden, they can help to control the larval stage of these beetles.

No specific chemical control for this beetle.

Fruit (especially grapes) and flowers (especially roses, proteas, carnations and dahlias)