Just went out to deadhead my poor, rain-beaten roses and found the first of this year's evil Japanese Beetles. I was hoping they'd be delayed or even drowned by the incredible rain storms we've had this year. No such luck.
UGH!
Picture hat-tip to a site called The Flying Kiwi http://www.richard-seaman.com/ which actually offers wallpaper for these bugs. Go figure.
Yuck!
I agree, Victor. Yuck!
Well that's a huge bummer, on top of the depressing weather we've been having!
I found the cure in my garden. Have so much rain you can't do a thing about blackspot and foil the JB with nothing left to eat!
UHG!
I knew it was about time and I sprayed everything yesterday. They ususally show up around Fourth of July here.
I haven't seen them(JB) as of yet but the rose bugs are horrible!! They are literly dive-bombing my hair and getting stuck!! YUK!!!!!
The Rose Chafers are bad here... for sure... They were eating my Iris flowers... Supposedly the Japanese Beetle population should be thinning after a parasite has shown up or was introduced to them... I had a garden inspector here who told me that. You have to get a nematode to kill the chafer grubs if you don't want to spray chemicals (I try not to).
Well I hate to use any chemicals but I will, already do for the Red Lily Bug......so far so good!
If you use liquid Sevin.. .make sure to use it at dusk... so it doesn't kill any honey bees you have.. .I have a ton of honey bees this year
Me too, all over the Astillbe!
DH found a JB on my hollyhocks this morn. Also had a honey bee on them, whoohoo.
I saw some today too.
I saw one after my post.
When it stops raining... I'll check.... perhaps tomorrow.. lol!
My MIL lives in Maine and is also complaining about a green bug (not a JB) that is all over her roses. Could that be a Rose Chafer? Is this what you have, Pixie and Leighton?
Maybe aphids?
Tiny and green... may be aphids... The Rose Chafer is tan, long thin beetle with razor jagged legs.... they are often seen in twos. Where in Maine does your MIL live?
I was thinking aphids too, we seem to have an abundance of them this year. Luckily the Ladybug crop is productive also!!
My MIL lives outside of Fryeburg.
Fryeburg is beautiful.... we usually go there about once a year and considered moving to that area, once upon a time. It's about 1 hour from my home...
The Japanese Beetles are here... whoopee!! lol
Lotsalilies has the answer over here! LOL
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1010362/
saw the first one yesterday - they seem to love wisteria and raose of sharon - i will spray tomorrow!!
Re afids: Take a bottle with a 'squirt' top. Fill part way with water, add detergent. Shake & spray plant. The afids can't get their 'snozes' into the stems.
I thought aphids had to be killed by direct contact with the soapy water? I have a problem with aphids every year on some of my astilbe. They seem to suck the buds dry as they start to come up. Whatever buds manage to survive then get hit by another sucking type insect just before bloom. I spray them with soapy water, then manually kill them while they're stunned. I keep reading that astilbe has no pests, but year after year, something attacks mine. It's really frustrating to have no or fewer flowers after how long we wait for everything to come back and into bloom.
So far, the only thing in my yard Japanese Beetles seem to care for are Japanese Maples, so I guess I should be thankful for that.
This message was edited Jul 4, 2009 7:38 PM
Yes spray when the aphids are there.
Yes, I am getting hammered in Poughkeepsie again this year. I have 2 traps out. It's another bad year here. They also love Kousa dogwoods and corn and burning bushes.
Used Grub-X last year but didn't help much. I caught 5 quarts of them last year. So far this year a quart.
Tom
tom the traps only attract them - i would not use them
They love my flowers. I go out about 4 times a day and knock them off into some soapy water. I know it doesn't make a dent but makes me feel better. BEV
And I hate to tell ya this, daisygrrl, but the two in your photo are ... um ... arranging to reproduce.
Mary, who worked in a USDA Japanese Beetle Laboratory in 1975 where the scientists were inventing the remedies we're all using today ...
LOL Sherrie!
They are here. BEV
I even found a JB in the horse stall while cleaning it yesterday!
This message was edited Jul 7, 2009 3:42 PM
They also love hardy Hibiscus......I just learned first hand.....Bayer rose and flower kills them pretty quick!
Well, they are a hateful bug, but that's a great pic, Bev.
Thank you!!!
Geezzzzzzzzz, they're here!!!
Bayer Rose and flower spray kills them almost immediately.
FYI!
What are the brown ones that are about the same size and arrive at the same time??
