No Asian beetles / ladybugs

Ravenlost · #21 10/18/10, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fellini123

The stink bugs ate all the Asian Beetles. We hove thousands of stink bugs and cant find anything to get rid of them..

Alice in Virginia

LOL...you beat me to it! That was the first thing that popped into my mind.

tinknal · #22 10/18/10, 05:18 PM

Are there fewer soy bean fields in your close vicinity this year?

Paquebot · #23 10/18/10, 05:32 PM

If one is not seeing Asian beetles where they were thick before, it merely means that they have done exactly what they were brought here to do. If aphid infestation is high, Asian beetle populations will be high. If there are no aphids, there will be no Asian beetles. I've seen exactly one this fall and that was in sight of a large bean field. About 3 years ago, one dared not open his mouth there or might inhale several.

Martin

Harry Chickpea · #24 10/18/10, 07:10 PM

tinknal, crops around here are rotated, but I have noticed more cotton being grown this year. That could be part of it.

MaineFarmMom · #25 10/19/10, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paquebot

If one is not seeing Asian beetles where they were thick before, it merely means that they have done exactly what they were brought here to do. If aphid infestation is high, Asian beetle populations will be high. If there are no aphids, there will be no Asian beetles. I've seen exactly one this fall and that was in sight of a large bean field. About 3 years ago, one dared not open his mouth there or might inhale several.

Martin

I haven't had aphids here until this year. This year is the first year in many that I didn't have swarms of Asian beetles in the house or between the old windows in the fall. Or at least, until today. I spoke too soon. I have my work spread out across the dining room table. Movement on the table caught the corner of my eye - Asian beetle shadow. There are two trapped between the windows. I'm sure they won't be the only two to show up. When they do I'm going to catch them and turn them loose in the high tunnels.

Paquebot · #26 10/19/10, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaineFarmMom

I haven't had aphids here until this year. This year is the first year in many that I didn't have swarms of Asian beetles in the house or between the old windows in the fall. Or at least, until today. I spoke too soon. I have my work spread out across the dining room table. Movement on the table caught the corner of my eye - Asian beetle shadow. There are two trapped between the windows. I'm sure they won't be the only two to show up. When they do I'm going to catch them and turn them loose in the high tunnels.

The aphids which you have are not the ones which the Asian beetle eats. That aphid, Aphis glycines, eats only soybeans and the Asian beetle only eats those aphids. That's why the importation of them was safe inasmuch as no native insects would be harmed.

Martin

Michael W. Smith · #27 10/19/10, 03:56 PM

I have to wonder if the population ended up getting so high, it collapsed in itself. I haven't had the problems with the Asian ladybugs like I usually do.

That could also be said for the Japanese Beetle and Gypsy Moth. For several years the populations kept growing and growing (seemingly no way to stop them). Then suddenly, they all but disappeared.

We now have a few (very few) Japanese Beetle and I haven't noticed the Gypsy Moth killing the tree leaves like before.

With the Asian Ladybug though, maybe there is something to the soybean aphid. We've had soybean fields nearby and had problems. This year the farmer only planted corn on our property and the neighboring property. (But the nearby neighbors with the soybean fields - I haven't heard of them complaining about the Asian Ladybug either.

Pony · #28 10/19/10, 04:14 PM

They're starting up here now b/c the farmers have started harvesting soybeans. That's when we see those nasty little stinkmonsters in full force.

Ugh.

Our Little Farm · #29 10/19/10, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paquebot

If one is not seeing Asian beetles where they were thick before, it merely means that they have done exactly what they were brought here to do. If aphid infestation is high, Asian beetle populations will be high. If there are no aphids, there will be no Asian beetles. I've seen exactly one this fall and that was in sight of a large bean field. About 3 years ago, one dared not open his mouth there or might inhale several.

Martin

it was like that here last year, this year, hardly any.

MaineFarmMom · #30 10/20/10, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paquebot

The aphids which you have are not the ones which the Asian beetle eats. That aphid, Aphis glycines, eats only soybeans and the Asian beetle only eats those aphids. That's why the importation of them was safe inasmuch as no native insects would be harmed.

Martin

Darn. Soybeans aren't grown for at least 100 miles. What else do they eat? It's probably not worth the time I spend collecting and releasing them in the tunnels.

malinda · #31 10/20/10, 06:21 AM

There was no lack of Asian beetles here. They were swarming a couple of weeks ago.

What I don't understand is, why do they land on you and feel the need to immediately bite you??

Paquebot · #32 10/20/10, 09:14 AM

They will also eat certain aphids which infest fruit and trees. I saw the second one of the season yesterday and that was in my back yard. Soybeans all around have been gone for almost a month and frosts since 3 weeks ago. If either were a factor causing them to look for a winter home here, they didn't get the message. In fact, haven't seen a single report or complaint about them for past several years. It's almost as if they did their job and simply moved on.

Martin

Pony · #33 10/20/10, 07:16 PM

Martin, Wisconsinites must lead a very charmed life. Soybean harvest is barely started here, and despite a couple of light frosts, those nasty bugs are numerous and irritating here in Missouri.

The asian beetles here seem to like my fruit and trees that have no aphids in or on them.

Nothing like a mess of asian beetles burrowed into a nice, big, juicy asian pear or Macintosh apple.

What I dislike most about the little blighters is how they decide to come into the house by the hundreds of thousands, and make a nice layer of nasty stinkiness in any available nook and cranny.

Ugh.

BTW, @Melinda: The USDA site says that the asian beetles are not biting you. They are just tasting you.

Funny. Sure feels like a bite to me!

Rita · #34 10/21/10, 10:29 AM

There are no soybean fields anywhere near us, many miles away if any and I have not seen enough aphids to feed more than two or three ladybugs but we have tons of them. Maybe they find something else to eat in the woods. It's such fun trying to take the clothes off the line while getting bit, having them flying in your face and hiding in the clothes to come out later in the house. NOT!!!!!

Pony · #35 10/21/10, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rita

There are no soybean fields anywhere near us, many miles away if any and I have not seen enough aphids to feed more than two or three ladybugs but we have tons of them. Maybe they find something else to eat in the woods. It's such fun trying to take the clothes off the line while getting bit, having them flying in your face and hiding in the clothes to come out later in the house. NOT!!!!!

Don't forget to keep your mouth closed.

Ugh.