AllyRodrigues
Chillin' In The Garden
Well, I put it on the other end of my lot (1 acre). I also sprayed the roses and that seems to have deterred them from there..catjac1975 said:
Raspberries and Japanese Beetles
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catjac1975
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The distance should be a good thing.
Hi all,
This is my first post here. I found this site to share a method I use to fight these Japanese beetles. Here is what I do and why I believe it is working...
I got this idea after reading about the life-cycle of this pest. Unlike a mosquito, the Japanese beetle has one hatch per year whereas other pests like the mosquito lays eggs all season long. Thus, there is a finite number of Japanese beetles do deal with. Kill the beetles in your area and the damage they cause will stop.
I use the soapy water method with a bit of bleach to drown them. The bleach ends their time much faster. I put about a half inch of the mixture in a small pail. That is more than enough fluids to drown them and it keeps the weight of the pail light.
Carefully, I place the pail under the leaf that they are feeding on. The beetles are not afraid of people so this part is pretty easy. I gently bend the leaf down and the beetle usually slides into the pail and within a minute is done for. Sometimes the beetle seems to be "stuck" to the leaf. So while the leaf is pointing down into the pail I gently shake the leaf. Eventually the beetle looses its grip and slides into the solution. Every once in a while I have to use a finger to get the beetle to let go of the leaf. And at times it is necessary to slap the leaf. Make sure the pail is under the leaf and slap in a quick but gentle motion. I learned by trial and error to ALWAYS place the pail under the beetle first. Just touching the leaf can cause them to slide off. If the pail is not ready to collect them the beetle could fly away or fall to the ground. They are difficult to find on the ground!
The first trip to the grapevine produced around fifty beetles in the pail.
The next day I made three trips. I had around sixty in the pail for the day's catch.
Each day I visit the grapevines three or more times. Each day their number decreases.
Some trips now produce only a few beetles.
Some trips, and this is happening more frequently, produce NO beetles. Their numbers are greatly reduced!
I believe by the end if July there will be almost no beetles left around here to "catch".
This fall I am treating the soil to remove any larva that will produce next years crop of Japanese beetles.
Here is a website some good information on the beetle's life cycle and different methods to control them with test results:
ohioline dot osu dot edu/hyg-fact/2000/2504
Hope there is something here that you find useful.
This is my first post here. I found this site to share a method I use to fight these Japanese beetles. Here is what I do and why I believe it is working...
I got this idea after reading about the life-cycle of this pest. Unlike a mosquito, the Japanese beetle has one hatch per year whereas other pests like the mosquito lays eggs all season long. Thus, there is a finite number of Japanese beetles do deal with. Kill the beetles in your area and the damage they cause will stop.
I use the soapy water method with a bit of bleach to drown them. The bleach ends their time much faster. I put about a half inch of the mixture in a small pail. That is more than enough fluids to drown them and it keeps the weight of the pail light.
Carefully, I place the pail under the leaf that they are feeding on. The beetles are not afraid of people so this part is pretty easy. I gently bend the leaf down and the beetle usually slides into the pail and within a minute is done for. Sometimes the beetle seems to be "stuck" to the leaf. So while the leaf is pointing down into the pail I gently shake the leaf. Eventually the beetle looses its grip and slides into the solution. Every once in a while I have to use a finger to get the beetle to let go of the leaf. And at times it is necessary to slap the leaf. Make sure the pail is under the leaf and slap in a quick but gentle motion. I learned by trial and error to ALWAYS place the pail under the beetle first. Just touching the leaf can cause them to slide off. If the pail is not ready to collect them the beetle could fly away or fall to the ground. They are difficult to find on the ground!
The first trip to the grapevine produced around fifty beetles in the pail.
The next day I made three trips. I had around sixty in the pail for the day's catch.
Each day I visit the grapevines three or more times. Each day their number decreases.
Some trips now produce only a few beetles.
Some trips, and this is happening more frequently, produce NO beetles. Their numbers are greatly reduced!
I believe by the end if July there will be almost no beetles left around here to "catch".
This fall I am treating the soil to remove any larva that will produce next years crop of Japanese beetles.
Here is a website some good information on the beetle's life cycle and different methods to control them with test results:
ohioline dot osu dot edu/hyg-fact/2000/2504
Hope there is something here that you find useful.
Smart Red
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1. DO NOT get those Japanese Beetle lures unless you have a huge property. Then you can stick the bags well to the perimeters. The end result of the lures usually means more JBs than you would have had without the bags. Don't bother asking how I know this. Just believe me.
The only way I would consider using traps in the future would be if I could stick the traps a mile away in every direction. That's the only way I know of to get them all off the property..
2. Hand picking or brushing into a pail of soapy water is the easiest way to get rid of them on plants that you can reach. As Steven has said, if you remove the JBs from a plant, there will be fewer JBs each time you make a JB run. That is because JBs 'call' or send a 'good eating here' lure to others in the area. When you remove all the beetles, they can't call for friends. Eventually, the JBs will find other plants to share and will leave the ones you keep JB free alone. For this reason, planting a few 'trap' plants that you don't clear might keep your most prized plants JB free. The best time to 'harvest' JBs is early in the morning, later in the evening, when it is cooler and especially on windy days. This is because during the heat of the day JBs tend to fly rather than drop.
3. Milky Spore is the best way to selectively get rid of the larval stage and prevent future JBs. Milky Spore is a bit pricey and needs up to 7 years for it to work completely. I've used it around the most heavily infested areas and have expanded the area with more applications for the past 3 years, but I do have a large yard. It seems there are a bit fewer JBs that in past years, but there's a lot of summer to go.
4. Not a choice for organic growers, Grub-X type insecticides are supposed to rid your lawn of not only the JB grubs but of all insects that have a larval stage in the lawn. One application lasts one year and must be reapplied each spring.
5. Chickens are a huge asset to my eradication plan. I may shake them to the ground in early morning or late evening and let the chickens enjoy their feast. When I use soap and water, I use a eco-friendly soap product. I have also found that raccoons love JBs. Before chickens I could leave a bucket of beetles on the picnic table knowing that the neighborhood 'coons would clear the table by morning. I certainly found that they would raid the traps during the night as well. Not a good thing!
6. Plant things that JBs don't like? What's that? While they do have preferences (roses, berries, Lindens, and the like), I have found Japanese Beetles on every plant growing on my property at one time or another except. . . . . .
Asian pear trees. I have several pear trees in my orchard. Only the Asian pear trees remain completely JB free. If I were scientifically inclined to pursue an insecticide for JBs I would start with those trees native to natural JB habitat to find a way to eradicate the pests.
7. While Sevin will work as an insecticide, I would hesitate to use it on any flowering plants. I suppose late evening when the pollinators are not around might be a choice, but I tend to cut down the shrubs or perennials that I can't keep JB free before I risk harming my beneficials.
Best of luck in what I consider a WAR against these pests. Please let us know what else is effective against what I consider my major pest problem.
Love, Linn B (aka Smart Red) Gardening in zone 4b-5a, newly 5b? -- anyway, Im still in the same spot in south-est, central-est Wisconsin
The only way I would consider using traps in the future would be if I could stick the traps a mile away in every direction. That's the only way I know of to get them all off the property..
2. Hand picking or brushing into a pail of soapy water is the easiest way to get rid of them on plants that you can reach. As Steven has said, if you remove the JBs from a plant, there will be fewer JBs each time you make a JB run. That is because JBs 'call' or send a 'good eating here' lure to others in the area. When you remove all the beetles, they can't call for friends. Eventually, the JBs will find other plants to share and will leave the ones you keep JB free alone. For this reason, planting a few 'trap' plants that you don't clear might keep your most prized plants JB free. The best time to 'harvest' JBs is early in the morning, later in the evening, when it is cooler and especially on windy days. This is because during the heat of the day JBs tend to fly rather than drop.
3. Milky Spore is the best way to selectively get rid of the larval stage and prevent future JBs. Milky Spore is a bit pricey and needs up to 7 years for it to work completely. I've used it around the most heavily infested areas and have expanded the area with more applications for the past 3 years, but I do have a large yard. It seems there are a bit fewer JBs that in past years, but there's a lot of summer to go.
4. Not a choice for organic growers, Grub-X type insecticides are supposed to rid your lawn of not only the JB grubs but of all insects that have a larval stage in the lawn. One application lasts one year and must be reapplied each spring.
5. Chickens are a huge asset to my eradication plan. I may shake them to the ground in early morning or late evening and let the chickens enjoy their feast. When I use soap and water, I use a eco-friendly soap product. I have also found that raccoons love JBs. Before chickens I could leave a bucket of beetles on the picnic table knowing that the neighborhood 'coons would clear the table by morning. I certainly found that they would raid the traps during the night as well. Not a good thing!
6. Plant things that JBs don't like? What's that? While they do have preferences (roses, berries, Lindens, and the like), I have found Japanese Beetles on every plant growing on my property at one time or another except. . . . . .
Asian pear trees. I have several pear trees in my orchard. Only the Asian pear trees remain completely JB free. If I were scientifically inclined to pursue an insecticide for JBs I would start with those trees native to natural JB habitat to find a way to eradicate the pests.
7. While Sevin will work as an insecticide, I would hesitate to use it on any flowering plants. I suppose late evening when the pollinators are not around might be a choice, but I tend to cut down the shrubs or perennials that I can't keep JB free before I risk harming my beneficials.
Best of luck in what I consider a WAR against these pests. Please let us know what else is effective against what I consider my major pest problem.
Love, Linn B (aka Smart Red) Gardening in zone 4b-5a, newly 5b? -- anyway, Im still in the same spot in south-est, central-est Wisconsin
