Japanese Beetles

Janet,
No I am not. See this:

http://www.stgl.us/gstore/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=44&idproduct=4006

I confess that I didn't read all the posts in this thread. There’s just so many and I have to get away from the PC soon. But I wanted to say (if it wasn't already said above) that 'hand picking' (for me) means holding your 'catch container' UNDER the beetle, as close to it as you can get. I've found that as soon as they see your hand they drop straight down and fly away very quickly. So have something really CLOSE to where they will drop.

Also I did read some saying they were using a systemic on their plants. The problem with that is that along with what you WANT to kill you'll also kill any beneficials that innocently visit your plants for a meal. So far (cross fingers) we haven't had a prob. with jap.beetles this year (not yet). But even when we do, like last summer they don't stay around very long and if you choose your favorite plants to keep vigil over and hand pick them hopefully you can stay somewhat ahead of them. Unless someone has 'show roses' or other flowers that simply MUST be protected from them it's much kinder to the beneficials not to use poison if possible, or at least not a systemic if there is any way you can avoid it.

I just cannot bring myself to touch bugs, any bugs. I can't touch worms or bugs or anything. Even with gloves I couldn't pick up a bug.

I always said I gave birth to sons to kill spiders and take out the garbage.

tommy, I think janet was referring to the other product you sprayed, i.e., Bayer Rose and Flower.

Milky Spore undoubtedly affects the grub stage of the JB and, as said by someone else above, can take a couple years to see some benefits. Hopefully all others in the neighborhood will also use it otherwise the adults will fly in from their lawns.

GrammyJo, good point on the stystemics, especially if people are using them on their food crops. (yuck!). Fortunately the beneficial bugs are the ones that eat other bugs and not our plants so hopefully there is no secondary affect from the systemics. Makes ya wonder though, eh?

Shoe- a hand JB picker, a Neem user for repellent, and soap sprayer (with a little alcohol added)
Happy Gardening!

I found another jb on my harry lauder (did I mention I love my harry lauder) and I took off my shoe & whacked it and it kinda sputtered around & fell to the ground...I think the chemicals made it dizzy. And I think the neighbors think I'm crazy, they must see me hitting my plants with my shoe!

Hey folks, I'm a chemical guy from way back. When you farm for a living, you do what ever it takes to protect your lively hood. I hope all are smart enough not to use systemics on your veggies you are harvesting every couple of days. Early on before they bloom and you would be safe. I use a systemic on all my yard plants. I don't intend to give any varmint a free meal off them. They cost to much money to buy and tend. Not to mention the hours of labor I put in, in the yard. Everybody to his own thing and more power to you, but give me the chemicals.

Oh DUH! I had milky spore on the brain! Thanks Horsehoe. No I am not worried about spraying the Bayer stuff. The JBs are really doing a number on my hibiscus and burning bushes.

I hear that, Tommyr...I lost over 25 hibiscus plants to those booger the year before last, also some of my prize roses. Bayer is a good product but I'd never used it at that point; will keep in in mind next time I see them moving in though. Glad you suggested it.

Fortunately the past two years I haven't had an onslaught of JB (crossing fingers here!). I see them here and there on my okra plants though so will be monitoring those pretty close.

One quick tip I've discovered over the years when I was using the bag traps:
The general use directions are to put the bags away from the plants you want to protect (of course). It goes on to say that when the bags are full of dead beetles to get rid of it because the smell of death may repel the bugs and make the bag/bait useless. Taking that into consideration I hung my bags of dead bugs in my veggie garden, near the corn and okra, etc, and it worked great, repelling the JB's. It stunk to high heaven on a warm day but it certainly did double-duty with its repelling! Ta-dahhh ♫

Shoe...off to pick tomatoes before the squirrels get them; wish there were bait bags for squirrels like there are for JB's!

I've caught 3 quart jars full of them so far this year.

I wish I'd had my camera with me today.

A few days ago, I found an assassin bug on the fence and transferred it to my pole beans where the japanese beetles are. Today it was still there AND it had its beak stuck into a japanese beetle, slurping out its guts. Best thing I've seen all day!

The pole beans have produced a few good handfuls of beans, with more to come - even with all the leaf loss.

AWESOME!