Re: Do birds eat japanese beetles?

**H*@aol.com**

USDA........

Vertebrate Predators. Birds such as grackles,  meadowlarks, starlings, 
cardinals, and catbirds have been reported as  significant predators of JB adults. 
In addition, pheasants, chickens, ducks,  geese, and guineas readily feed on 
the beetles. Starlings, grackles, crows, and  gulls also devour large numbers of 
JB larvae. The damage to turf by foraging  crows can be more serious than 
that caused by the JB larvae themselves. A  similar situation exists with skunks, 
racoons, and moles as predators. They can  remove large numbers of grubs from 
the field, but the damage they inflict to the  grass is often an unacceptable 
tradeoff for turf managers. Although toads,  shrews, and mice may feed on JB 
adults or larvae, they have not been noted as an  important factor in beetle 
control. 

Andrew Messinger
The Hampton Gardener is a registered  trade mark and is published every 
Thursday in The Southampton Press, The Press  and the Easthampton Press

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