Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica) are among the most destructive garden pests in North America, devouring leaves, flowers, and fruit of over 300 plant species (Photo 1 and 2). But the damage starts even before you notice it below the surface, their white grubs feed on the roots of grasses (Photo 3) and plants, causing brown patches in lawns and weakened ornamental plants. While chemical treatments are available, many gardeners and landscape professionals are turning to a safer, more natural method of control: entomopathogenic nematodes, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora