Managing Picnic Beetles (Sap Beetles)
Don’t share the harvest with picnic beetles this summer. Regular harvesting and sanitation can help reduce problems with this garden pest.
Picnic beetles are small, up to ¼” long, brown or black oval-shaped insects that have a knob on the end of each antenna.
These insects feed on fruits and vegetables in the garden such as corn, tomatoes, raspberries, strawberries and muskmelons. They’re usually secondary pests, meaning they feed on the fruit that was already damaged by another insect or disease. The picnic beetles are attracted to the fermenting fruit and vegetables. Once in the garden, they may also feed on undamaged produce.
Regular harvesting and removal of damaged fruit from the plants and surrounding soil will eliminate their food source and reduce damage.
You can reduce their populations with traps of overripe fruit, stale beer or a molasses-yeast and water mix. Empty the traps and replace the bait every three to four days.
A bit more information: Skip the pesticides. Since these insects are present during harvest, spraying is not practical. The wait time between spraying and harvest means you will have more overripe fruit and vegetables in the garden. And that means more food to attract the picnic beetles.
Related
Categories
Upcoming Live Events
& Webinars
May 3, 2025
Low-Maintenance Gardening
Merton, WI
Register here
May 7, 2025
FREE WEBINAR:
Vertical Gardening
Register here
May 10, 2025
Ask the Plant Doctor Q&A
Ebert's Greenhouse Village
Ixonia, WI
May 11, 2025
Ask the Plant Doctor Q&A
Ebert's Greenhouse Village
Ixonia, WI
May 15, 2025
FREE WEBINAR:
7 Steps to Managing Water on Your Property
Register here
May 17, 2025
Ask the Plant Doctor Q&A
Ebert's Greenhouse Village
Ixonia, WI
May 18, 2025
Ask the Plant Doctor Q&A
Ebert's Greenhouse Village
Ixonia, WI
June 4, 2025
FREE WEBINAR:
Attracting Hummingbirds
Register here
June 8, 2025
Selecting the Right Hydrangea
for Your Landscape
Ebert's Greenhouse Village
Ixonia, WI
June 14, 2025
Houseplants 101
Ebert's Greenhouse Village
Ixonia, WI
June 20, 2025 (event 6/20-6/22)
Pollinator Celebration
Vino in the Valley
Maiden Rock, WI
Register here
WATCH ON-DEMAND WEBINARS
Learn More