Michigan Gardening: Bugs, 1 by penth2o

penth2o wrote:
Hi,
I have been looking very hard for any type of bugs in my plants. I read your posts about bugs eating all your stuff and shudder. I go through and inspect each plant and even under the leaves while I trim yellow or dead leaves.

I have yet to see one of those japanese beetles but I have seen five big black ones with claws on the front that I stepped on. I have another type of beetle. I don't know if it is eating or not. I watched them today for quite a while and they were not munching. I think it is some type of longhorn but have not been able to find it anywhere on here or the web. I know that sevin does not touch them though.

I have aphids like crazy on the roses only up by the tiny buds that are about to pop. They are only on the roses. I think that sevin might be a gimmick. I sprayed every other day for 14 days and I still have them. All though they are slowing down rapidly now. I don't know if it is the sevin or the ant granuales (terro) that I surrounded each rose with. I read your posts about getting rid of the ants and you get rid of the aphids. That sevin is potent though. I see dead tent catipillars, worms, bees and others. I have to quit spraying sevin. All my plants look like they have that powdery mildew disease. The leaves are all white coated.

I cannot control the slugs. These things are all over anything that has leaves. They are brutal. I'm sick of picking them. I go to the dollar store and buy final net hair spray and light a bic lighter. It's like a flamethrower. I fry their asses til they disentagrate. I can't stop these things. I'm frying some of my plants though so I have to find an alternative. When I finish this case of final net I will try something else.
What are you guys using for slugs?

Thats the only bugs I can find in the garden. I have been turning on the outdoor garage lights and going out there at midnight or so. It looks like the whole side of the garage is moving. It is so thick with all kinds of bugs, moths, junebugs, bats zooming in and praying mantis. This is where I get my supply of mantis. I pick them and plant them in the garden.

Here is what I don't have a shortage of.
I have tons of little frogs, some bigger ones too. Lots of little peepers, tree frogs & toads. Millions of them. That and dragonflys. The worms also. I can scrape away wood chips for a foot and see probably seven worms. They are all over. The humming birds are so thick I don't jump anymore when they buzz my head.

Now the bad part. The field up by the pole barn has tiny grasshoppers so thick like they just hatched. When you walk by they all jump. you can literally watch the field move for ten feet in front of you. How do you control these things?
I thought about calling my friend the chief on the fire department and telling him to do a controlled burn for training the newbies. I had them do that on an old house that was on some property that I bought.

Just looked up at this post. I'm rambling. Goodnight folks.

Joel.