Japanese Beetles are destroying my plants~~

barnyardgal · #1 06/10/12, 06:32 PM

I have tried DE-tried sevin spray/powder-tried spraying with Dawn dish soap/water--now what next to try??

I read that Neem oil might work but does anyone have any proven method of getting rid of these bugs?? Never had a problem with them till about a week ago & they showed up-UNINVITED~~~

One lady said to pick them off & put them in a bucket/jar of soapy water-i don't have time for that~~

Any other easier method??

Thanks in advance!!

P.S.chickens/guineas/ducks/geese won't eat them either~~

salmonslayer · #2 06/10/12, 06:53 PM

They just descended on us too Barnyardgal just like every year. We find that Neem oil works for us as both a post infestation pesticide (its organic) and as a deterrent. We also found that the trap with bait they sell just attracted more of them to our garden so we gave that up.

If you have tomatoes check for aphids on them as well...they are really bad this year and neem oil works for that too.

OH Boy · #3 06/10/12, 06:54 PM

GO to your hardware store and buy the traps for them, they are a little hanging bag thing with a plastic attractor, the bugs are attracted too it by scent and then they fall in the bag and cant get out. It will collect them by the hundreds. You'll have to change the bag daily so buy some spares.

CarolT · #4 06/10/12, 07:28 PM

The traps also help your neighbors because _all_ the beetles in a large area congregate at your place. BTDT

My chickens and guineas both eat them.

doodlemom · #5 06/10/12, 07:48 PM

I used to gather them drown them and feed them to the chickens. The stink of the dead drown beetles is repulsive to them so I'd spray the water on the roses I bet there's some foliar feed benefits as well lol.

bja105 · #6 06/10/12, 09:56 PM

My first garden, 4 years ago, I had a Japanese beetle infestation. I went around the pole beans with a bucket, and knocked them in, then fed them to the chickens. The chickens loved them! I bought one of the baits for the bag trap and stapled it to the inside of the chicken coop. Those things work well, because I had beetle follow me into the coop. It was a chicken self feeder, and gave the birds something to do. Ever since that year, I have seen very few Japanese beetles. I read they have a three year cycle, so last year should have been bad, but I only saw a few. I think my eradication and the chickens constant free ranging has made the difference.

doodlemom · #7 06/10/12, 10:01 PM

LOL I love it. I'd have to put the Japanese beetle lure in a cage in the chicken's cage so they don't eat it. I can picture my kids with lawnchairs and snacks watching it like TV.

Rick · #8 06/10/12, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OH Boy

GO to your hardware store and buy the traps for them, they are a little hanging bag thing with a plastic attractor, the bugs are attracted too it by scent and then they fall in the bag and cant get out. It will collect them by the hundreds. You'll have to change the bag daily so buy some spares.

We collected beetles in the same bags 2 years in a row, emptying into soap buckets every 2 or 3 days and rinsing them out.

Yes the traps work, if yours didn't, i'd say you didn't have enough (at least 3), or you had them placed incorrectly - like too close to your vulnerable area.. We saw the beetles on our peach trees drop to zilch.

Horseyrider · #9 06/11/12, 05:49 AM

We used the traps too, and also handpicked from the raspberries once or twice a day. I got a huge crop of raspberries; they didn't seem inclined to bother much of anything else except the hollyhocks, which I considered a trap crop to spare my other stuff.

I was disappointed though; my chickens looked at them like they were little kids with a plate of liver. *sigh*

I'm farther north than you, and haven't seen any yet.

motdaugrnds · #10 06/11/12, 07:29 AM

I have used the traps as well and do like them. However, what I discovered worked best here were the evening primrose growing. Those beetles loved the leaves of the primrose and left our veggies alone.

freelove · #11 06/11/12, 08:42 AM

We have had good results from using Milky Spore. Last year was a bad year all around us and I only found 5 beetles on my young cherry tree and 2 or 3 on my roses. Used the granules again this year, we will see.

Ozarks Tom · #12 06/11/12, 04:10 PM

I've been using Sevin Concentrate for about 6 years now. I spray the last week of May, and it lasts thoughout the summer. They love young trees, and of course gardens, but we haven't had an infestation since we started spraying.

I mix 2 ounces per gallon into a 15 gallon spot sprayer, with a 1 gpm pump.

tom_the_chemist · #13 06/11/12, 09:18 PM

I have seen malathion used successfully on these. I plan to spray my fruit trees tomorrow.

wildcat6 · #14 06/12/12, 08:27 AM

Excuse my ignorance but what is Neem Oil?

watcher · #15 06/12/12, 09:53 AM

Sevin dust. We call it releasing 'the fog of death' when we dust the garden with it.

salmonslayer · #16 06/12/12, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wildcat6

Excuse my ignorance but what is Neem Oil?

Its an extract of a tree bark and works really well. We buy it under the "Fertilome" brand and you can usually get it at any garden store and even a lot of big box stores.

Maura · #17 06/12/12, 10:01 AM

Neem oil is from the pods of the neem tree, which grows in India. It smells horrible.

wildcat6 · #18 06/12/12, 12:20 PM

I will have to check that out. I have never heard of it before. Does it work on all insects/most insects or is it speciffic to the Japense Beetle?

wildcat6 · #19 06/12/12, 12:20 PM

Also, how do you apply it? Do you mix with water and spray it on?

salmonslayer · #20 06/12/12, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wildcat6

Also, how do you apply it? Do you mix with water and spray it on?

Yes you mix it at about 1 oz per gallon on water in a garden sprayer and it actually is good against most insects as well as fungal diseases. It really does great against black spot on roses too.