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Coworker says smashing Japanese beetles will attract more? (self.gardening)

submitted 5 months ago by drhugsymcfur to c/gardening

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Hello,

I recently had a coworker mention, " You can't just smash Japanese beetles because it will only attract more through a pheromone they release when dying."

Is this actually a thing or is he misremembering some old gossip's tale?

Thanks, DrHugsyMcFur

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[–] just_another_person 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I think it's BS. Logic would say it's BS because of evolutionary purposes of pheromones, which would made in glands, and in almost any other case used for attracting LIVE mates. If you suddenly smashed one, then the worry is you're busting their pheromone sac or whatever and attracting more? Specious.

I'm suspicious haha. I looked it up anyway and can't find any proof of that, only the negative.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Wasps can emit alarm pheromones that inform other wasps that it's in trouble. Smashing it can I think also cause this. https://phys.org/news/2015-12-arms-social-wasps-alarm-pheromones.html

[–] Hildegarde 11 points 5 months ago

Those are colony insects that have a cooperative survival strategy. Japanese beetles don't do that as far as I'm aware.