Ok I do know this was on here once before but I can't find and also cannot find any B.T. around here so any help with some info about this would really help ..that said does any body know if it kills the grubs of the blister beetle ..
Milky Spore
I would like to know if this stuff works to get rid of moles.
If you get rid of the grubs, you stand a good chance of getting rid of the moles too! (and armidillos too!)
I have never tried milky spore in this part of the country, because I've heard it only works on Japanese beetles and not the June bugs we have in Texas. Don't know if that's true or not.
But, if you want something that really does work, try beneficial nematodes. They also work on fire ants, termites, chiggers, fleas and ticks. They're pricy, but we think they are worth it because they take care of so many problems.
To use milky spore you need to spread it for 2 years they say for it to really take off.
I have spread it out twice in the last year and we still have moles..but then I have not been able to buy enough of it to do it like they recommend either
You might find it at a garden center or you an find it online too
I need to look into the nematodes though as the fire ants are terrible and the yard is covered wtih them I can't go out unless I have on shoes to my ankles or boots cause they get me good.lol
do they harm earthworms?
nematodes no as they are a type of worm too
milky spore doesn't either as I still have worms in the flower beds
I think that's probably true about a couple of years to take off. We were primarily spraying for fire ants. We would see an improvement, but there were still ants. Then, after 3-4 years, there weren't. It's been 2-3 years since we've used the nematodes, and the fire ants haven't returned.
Grubs... a little more iffy. We have always had a few grubs--never enough to be a problem, but still there. We have fewer now, but we do still have them. I always heard that, for milky spore to be effective, everyone in the neighborhood had to use it. Probably true for the beneficial nematodes as well. I might get rid of most of my own, but my neighbors' June bugs can still fly.
Yes, despite nemotode application, there was definitely a little guy tearing up my yard and driving my dog crazy. I know my neighbor applied some mole repellant.
Arbico.com has beneficial nematodes on sale right now. The only downside is that they need to stay moist for a few days after they are applied. I don't think mine lived through the drought.
Yes, I try to apply in the spring. I would have to water 3x /day now. I am not going to do that.
I have always heard they don't tolerate the heat too well. They should only be applied when it's below 90 for a few days.
Enlighten me a little bit about the Texas June bug is it anything like that hated Blister Beetle
Texas June Bug= Japanese Beetle
I don't think of those as the same insect.
June bug..brown beetle that clings to screen doors, drowns in pet bowls and makes me scream when they get caught in my hair, ect...Also a term of endearment, "Hey Junebug, good to see ya".
Japanese beetle...green metallic beetle that eats my rose petals.
Just to confuse the issue and further the hijacking of the milky spore thread.....LOL!!
This is what most of us call June bugs, or May beetles. http://bugguide.net/node/view/11449
....those metallic green are these http://bugguide.net/node/view/520
Then the blister bugs are maybe in this group? …. http://bugguide.net/node/view/181
Close enuff, the blister beetle thing-thank you, we are having the black ant looking one around here real bad, didn't know what to call it. Assassin bugs long brown 4 eyes on there back? I have no clue how to work my way around the files, sorry, need a class on Office 2007, too, really bad, chuckl
Thanx Sheila though I was born and lived some of my life in Louisiana until retirement I lived most of my adult life in the semi arid and desert part of the west so I am relearning a lot of stuff about the insects that seem to plague my gardens
Sheila today I saw a June bug and thanks to you I knew what it was ..I am 75 yrs old and it still thrills me to learn something new..
Me too grits....never too old to learn something new.