What You Can Do

There are a variety of products that will control elm leaf beetles while they infest trees. These are biological agents, insecticidal soaps and oils, and systemic products. The specialists at the garden center can help with these. Follow label directions for these products to help reduce the number of beetles that try to enter the home. It may also limit the amount of damage that the beetles might do.

The quickest way to remove these insects from the inside of the home is with a vacuum cleaner. To keep elm leaf beetles from entering homes:

• Check outside for openings.
• Repair screens on windows, attic vents, and crawl space vents.
• Make sure exterior doors close properly.
• Add weather-stripping where it is damaged or missing.

Appearance

• Size: Adult elm leaf beetles are about 13 mm long.
• Color: They are yellow to olive colored. They have a dark band on the outside edge of each wing cover. The larvae are yellow and have a black stripe.

Life Cycle & Reproduction

Elm leaf beetle females can produce up to 800 eggs in her life. These eggs usually appear underneath the leaves of the selected plant. Larvae hatch, feed, and then pupate in crevices in the tree toward the end of summer. In some areas of the country, two or three generations occur during the summer.

In the fall, adult beetles try to find a place to spend the winter. Many times they gather on houses and then find openings that lead inside. When they are trapped inside the home, they gather at windows and doors at the onset of spring. Mating occurs at this time.