If the leaves on your linden, birch, or crabapple look like brown lace this month, Japanese beetles are the reason.
Mid-July is their peak across Metro East Illinois. The beetles feed in groups, eating the soft tissue between the leaf veins and leaving a see-through, skeletonized look. A heavy infestation can brown out the top of a canopy in about a week, and they return to the same favored trees each year.
The reassuring part: a healthy, established tree can usually shrug off a season of feeding, even when it looks alarming. The trees that struggle are the ones already stressed by drought, poor pruning, or weak structure. A walk-through can tell the difference between a tree that just needs patience and good watering and one that was already declining across Bethalto, Godfrey, and Edwardsville.
#MetroEastTreeService #TreeHealth #JapaneseBeetles #Edwardsville
Real close-up of skeletonized leaves, beetles visible if possible, from a Metro East property. Authentic local photos preferred over stock.
Canva text suggestion: "Skeletonized Leaves Mean Japanese Beetles" or "Is Your Tree Just Stressed, or Declining?"