The Japanese Beetles have arrived and are completely demolishing my morning glories and roses...I pick them off, have used systemic food...does anyone have any magic they can offer...it is so discouraging...
We feed birds, and love the butterflies so try to use something that won't harm them.
Liza
This message was edited Aug 9, 2008 11:48 AM
We also have them for the first time in ages on Long Island! I also would like to know what to do about them!
I just teated my lawns with Milky Spore last month just in case. I don't have a problem with them now... but I don't want one either!
Sherrie...we had the tourtoise beetle about a month ago...I was able to control it with picking them off.. they are gone now, but beetles arrived this week...and they are just horrendous...I don't want to use anything to hurt the bees though...kinda defeats the purpose of garrdening.
Liza
You are always in a catch 22 eh?
I have sent about 20 total into the soapy deep. About the same as last year. Few years back spread milky spore on lawn, don't know if that has done the trick but the last few years they have been much decreased. The other brown/grey beetles aka the dumb beetles, are slightly more numerous but not bad either. They did poke a lot of holes in the daisies and coneflowers before I noticed they were here. Here is what was a beautiful coneflower after the beetles have munched, the bee doesn't seem to mind at all. :(
Just saw this link on another site, thought it was useful. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://aesop.rutgers.edu/~hamilton/obeetle.jpg&imgrefurl=http://aesop.rutgers.edu/~hamilton/lecture16.htm&h=841&w=593&sz=293&hl=en&start=6&um=1&tbnid=PePX_crAdh1XwM:&tbnh=145&tbnw=102&prev=/images%3Fq%3Doriental%2Bbeetles%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26ie%3DUTF-8
This message was edited Jul 13, 2008 7:26 PM
I have picked off 20 on 1 plant...today we bought some spray that appears to work temporarily...I hope so...really ticks you off to work so hard and see the leaves totally eaten and the roses full of the little devils...Shame on whomever brought them to the USA.. You have to keep spraying the spray every time you see them...but supposedly it doesn't hurt anything else... will keep you all advised.
liza
I've read that milky spore will really help. Problem is, it won't help you this year. It takes a year or so to really be effective, but then it lasts several years. I'm putting it down this fall. I saw my first JB today - only one so far and I'm crossing my fingers. I've never had a problem with the beetles in the 15 years I've lived in this house. But this year I added roses to my garden and that's where I found the one. If I get more, I'm ditching the roses! I have several Japanese Maples that I don't want to risk.
Hello, sorry to butt into the thread. I tried two things this year and so far no JBs. I got the rose and ornamental spray from Gardens Alive (only thing is you can't use it when the weather gets really hot) and I also got the Grub-Away nematodes - mostly because our grass has become a grub paradise. You can apply the nematodes to gardens, too. It comes in this tiny containers and looks like dry spicy mustard. So far, so good.
mAXSMOMMA
Is the nematodes friendly to bees and butterflies, birds, etc...
we really worry about that as we feed tons of birds etc...
where did you get the nematodes?
Liza
Milky spore will work but takes several years to spread though out your lawn. USE TRAPS too and follow THE LABLE DIRECTIONS. I caught 5 quart sized jars full last year myself. They are just as bad this year. They have been eating my corn, hardy Hibiscus, burning bushes and like butterfly bush flowers it seems. They are HORNY LITTLE BASTARDS!
I did try the Milky Spore with mixed results that's why I moved to the nematodes, too. I got them from Gardens Alive. I asked and was told that it's fine for other animals. We've had plenty of birds (even cardinals for the first time in several years), butterflies, and bees this year and my dog has had no problems either. I think he appreciates the better grass, honestly.
There may be a temperature restriction on using the nematodes. I honestly cannot recall right now.
What is the name of the spray, Maxsmom?
Argh!!! They are really ticking me off. Two of them can eat an entire Hibiscus bloom before I can even spot them. Better that than the brugs, I guess. They always feasted on the Canna before this year, but I got rid of most of them, because of the JB's! DUH!!!
The spray is the Rose and Ornamental Spray from Gardens Alive.
I have been looking for something as well to kill those PESTS! Does the spray you used have any affect on bees? I can't find anything that won't hurt the bees and I have lots of bees as well.
Not that I know of - I've used it on my roses, and they've been well visited this year by a variety of bees and butterflies have still flocked to the garden as well. But it's probably best to ask the Gardens Alive people to be absolutely sure.
It does say it does not bother beneficial insects.
ooooh, I gotta get me some of that!! Thanks for the info!
Thanks Maxsmom!
Sure - hope it works well for you!
Ugh I just found that those darned JBs are attacked my flowering cherry but they are all the way at the top so I can't pick them off, what in the world do I do????
Look for a way to attract the birds. From what I understand cardinals love them!! Well that is what I am trying this year........
Cardinals like safflower seed and evergreens. If you can lurk them to your yard, Jen, maybe they'll make a dent in your JB numbers.
I have at least three pair of cardinals, but I also have JBs, so don't expect too much.
If nothing else, they are really pretty!
I meant the cardinals. :-)
THAT'S why I have so many cardinals this year!
This has been the least active JB year in a long time for me; I've only squashed about 25.
However, I've noticed that the birds are very active; particularly robins and cardinals. My robins are doing a 2nd nesting!
16 years ago, when i first began encountering those flower-munching fiends, I'd spray them w/o touching them. The next year, I would gingerly knock them into a bucket of soapy water. NOW I grab them, squash them w/ bare hands and go "BBBBwwwaaah-ha-ha!!! Take that, o minions of Satan!!!"
It's a good thing that involuntary institutional commitment is a much harder legal hurdle than the old days.
Hmmm - I do't think it' THAT hard...
I do have tons of birds including cardinals but I do still see beetles.
We do not have a few. We have millions eating everything. They are driving us nuts!!!! Bev
I have cardinals and beetles. Never saw a cardinal near any of the plants that have the beetles. Maybe an 'All you can eat' sign is in order.
Did I neglect to add the 'All you can eat' sign is essential??? Sorry!! Seriously, I don't think they alone will eliminate the JB population but I'll take every little bit of help eliminating them out of my garden!!
Hi Debbie! How are you doing, other than fighting JB's?!!
I'm doing great!! And lately my garden life is all about fight JB's!! Nasty things. Even my grandchildren SCREAM "grandma ka'mere I see a japanee beetle". (their 3 and 5)
Great link!
They should add as a negative that cardinals will wake you at dawn w/ their singing. Pretty, yes; but not at 5 AM!
Glad I have several around here. Feeling lucky at only finding one or two JBs a day. Hope it stays that way or less, they will soon be gone for this year, yeah!
