Japanese beetles

[wood1954]

Anybody seeing jap beetles? Every year they appear around June 24, but happily none yet. I’m not going to spray insecticide till August so the predators can do their job. Then I have to spend at least 2 weeks in isolation with my wife as she recovers from a stem cell transplant so the bugs will have free reign for a while.

 

[Ohio Bob]

I’ve seen a few smaller ones here in northeast Ohio. Seen some leaf damage to raspberry plants but not much else. Apple tress look clean.

 

[VinesnBines]

You are not seeing many because they were all at my vineyard, two weeks ago.. MANY!!! They were flying and hitting me in the face as I sprayed. I hope the spray took care of them because I've been out of town. Some of my first year Vidal were pretty severely attacked. They seem to love Vidal. Oddly, in the NOVA annex, I only had a few. I'm thinking of trying milky spore this fall in the main vineyard.

Hope your wife gets along will with the transplant.

 

[CortneyD]

Our haven't showed up yet in Northern WI, but it was a mild year for their sandy-soil cousins the Rose Chafer beetles, so I'm hoping it will translate to an easier year with the japanese beetles too. Fingers crossed!

Much luck and healing/healthy juju to you and your wife- I hope the transplant is a runaway success!

 

[Joel]

I had them for a time, as I don't have any idea how to get rid of them effectively I have been using 7 to deal with them.

 

[srcorndog]

Anybody seeing jap beetles? Every year they appear around June 24, but happily none yet. I’m not going to spray insecticide till August so the predators can do their job. Then I have to spend at least 2 weeks in isolation with my wife as she recovers from a stem cell transplant so the bugs will have free reign for a while.

Coming your way they are leaving Georgia I have been spraying every 14 days
\

 

[Rocky]

Anybody seeing jap beetles? Every year they appear around June 24, but happily none yet. I’m not going to spray insecticide till August so the predators can do their job. Then I have to spend at least 2 weeks in isolation with my wife as she recovers from a stem cell transplant so the bugs will have free reign for a while.

The key is to control the grubs in the ground and kill them before they emerge as adult Japanese beetles. It is too late for this year's class but if you apply milky spore in the Fall, you should be good for next year. Once the beetles appear this year, there are a number of sprays that will kill them, available at your local garden store. I have used a Sevin that attaches to a garden hose to spray my Little Leaf Linden that was under attack. It just "rained" beetles.

One caution! Don't use those "bug bombs" unless you want to attract more beetles to your yard.

 

[Vern]

Haven't seen any here in Southern Wisconsin.

 

[JustJoe]

Here in Minnesota I just saw the first one today.

 

[Huba Huba]

Lots in SE Missouri. Have been bad last few years and better this year than last. I keep bees so insecticides are out. Have been using diatomaceous earth with some success. I have read that they travel several miles so have not tried milky spore.. Do you think controlling grubs will affect the local population?

 

[wood1954]

I spoke too soon ,they just showed up today

 

[wood1954]

Lots in SE Missouri. Have been bad last few years and better this year than last. I keep bees so insecticides are out. Have been using diatomaceous earth with some success. I have read that they travel several miles so have not tried milky spore.. Do you think controlling grubs will affect the local population?

I think so. A few years ago I went out to the vineyard and between two rows was a mass eruption of Japanese beetles in the grass , hundreds just coming out of the ground, I made up some spray and was able to kill most of them. So yes kill the grubs. I can’t use milky spore so I leave my grass longer, they supposedly like short grass to lay their eggs.

 

[VinesnBines]

Why can’t you use milky spore?

 

[Joel]

I have used Milky spore, the key thing to remember is, unless every one uses it in the area it wont be very effective.

 

[TurkeyHollow]

Why can’t you use milky spore?

Milky Spore only works on larvae (for lawns).

 

[wood1954]

Why can’t you use milky spore?

The cold weather makes it hard to get the milky spore to develop enough to be effective

 

[TurkeyHollow]

The cold weather makes it hard to get the milky spore to develop enough to be effective

Milky Spore needs to be applied in a certain way (3 times per year at least 2 years in a row). It will, however stay dormant for up to 15 years if no Japanese Beatles larvae are present. Once applied, it's pretty effective for your lawn but hatching beatles will leave your neighbors property to feed on your vines as @Joel has said.

 

[Ohio Bob]

One reason to still use milky spore is to keep grubs out of your lawn. We had raccoons dig up large stretches just for the grubs.

 

[Rocky]

One reason to still use milky spore is to keep grubs out of your lawn. We had raccoons dig up large stretches just for the grubs.

...and skunks too!

 

[Clover]

Milky spore works well, in my experience. And, I know people hate the beetle bags, but I have to say I've had success with them. They have to be thought of as more of a preventative than an instant solution.

We live in the middle of 21 acres, so no neighbors' gardens to pull the beetles into our garden and bag, which may be different from those who live in urban areas. A few years ago, though, my husband saw one and got it for me, just a spontaneous gift. I inwardly cringed, but hung it up so as not to hurt his feelings. It was nearly full in a week. Great - less beetles, I thought.

The real surprise was the following year - there were very, very few beetles in my garden. I thought about it, and realized that all of those beetles that were captured the year before were not alive to propagate! So, I got another bag and hung it up. The next year, even fewer beetles.

So, I now get a bag every year, and since I started using them, my flowers are beautiful and nearly beetle free.