Japanese beetles on roses

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

Last summer/fall I had a horrible time with the Japanese beetles. Initially I noted they were attracted to a certain weed, so I left those weeds for them so they would ignore my GOOD plants (and to give natural predators <are there any?> a chance at the problem. That has worked really well with other pests in the garden.

In the end,though, they attacked my JFK rosebush, which is a baby really, and ate the three buds on it down to nothing. It was pretty saddening really. I attempted to pick them off, but guess my trap wasn't very good, since they just flew away.

I'd really like to NOT use pesticides since nothing else here is controlled by them, but ARG!
What are my other options? I'm going to pick into hot water, then feed half-drowned bugs to my chickens, but are there any options that will repel the bugs when I'm not around? I have two kids and a hubby to take care of, and can't do an hourly pick on the nasty things.

Thanks!

 

[Hencackle]

I get Japanese beetles on my crape myrtles. I have been pulling them off by the handfuls and giving them to my chickens--but then I work at home so I have the option of checking my trees frequently. I have thought of knocking them down into a brown paper bag and freezing them to use as chicken treats.

Before I got my chickens, I used a JB trap from Lowe's and it worked great. Too well actually...it drew the beetles from my neighbors as well. I have been considering getting another trap for this summer and dumping the beetles into freezer bag on a daily basis. Perhaps the sex attractant lure in your trap was old or weak.

Another option is using Milky Spore to control the larvae of the Japanese beetle. I haven't tried it, so I can't make any comments about it. However, I am posting this link so you can read another person's comments: http://www.gardensalive.com/article.asp?ai=768&bhcd2=1201039048
GardensAlive.com is another good place to order traps. They also carry Surround at Home crop protectant which is kaolin-based (a type of clay). This only repels the beetles. Since this leaves a whitish film on plants, it may not be the most aesthetic choice, but it's safe.

 

[patandchickens]

Are your kids old enough to hand-pick them? That's how I earned extra pocket money when I was a kid.

Milky spore disease may help if they're all your own home-grown japanese beetles but if most come from neighbors' yards then it may be a waste of money (well aside from maybe making the lawn look nicer)

Pat

 

[BearSwampChick]

I've been picking them off for the last few years and it does seem that they're getting less each summer. I usually knock them into a container that has soapy water, but I guess if I'm going to get chicks in a few weeks, I'll have to come up with another method so I can feed them to the chicks.

 

[chickflick]

I make sure the chickens are around and knock them off to the ground. Chickens love them!! Or.. I collect them in a coffee can and feed it to them later. If you don't have chickens, knock them off in a coffee can filled part way with soapy water and let them drown.

 

[Rosalind]

Plant garlic nearby, and spray with some neem-extract-based spray. I swear by it. The garlic really helps--maybe distracts beetles so they can't smell properly? Used to get oodles of Japanese beetles on the nearby chenopodia (spinach, lamb's quarters, etc.) but none on the roses. Go figure.