[Retrofit]

While my dogs sleep under the shade of my hops they also have no interest in eating them.
I think there may be some exaggeration on how lethal they are but I also think it's situational. Who wants to be the guy that killed their own dog because they got a little lazy? How do you explain that to the wife, to the kids?
I would consider the stories that others posted as real and take the precautions neccessary for your dogs.

With mine I set a big bowl on the ground and watched to see if they nibbled. No interest. They've never showed interest but that's my dogs.
I think this is an issue that merits precaution but dogs and hops can live together if you make it work.

[Hopfarmer]

http://ipm.wsu.edu/field/pdf/HopPocketGuideFINAL.pdf

[rexbanner]

Originally Posted by bengerman

you need a new vet.
http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/poison-control/Plants/hops.aspx

I'm inclined to agree with him. I've read somewhere reputable that some dogs are allergic to hops, but it's actually very rare. Wish I had a source. In any case my dog drank an IIPA one time and he was fine. He likes to knock over peoples' beers and drink them if no one is around.

As for these pests, I've had japanese beetles so far this year. Sevin killed them, but they still would eat a bunch before finally dying. I think a combo of sevin and flicking them off the plant does the trick, because they're too weak to climb back on. I don't really have any qualms about using Sevin because it's so early in the season.

Now I have aphids, and neem seems to be doing the trick.

[bengerman]

Originally Posted by rexbanner

I'm inclined to agree with him. I've read somewhere reputable that some dogs are allergic to hops, but it's actually very rare. Wish I had a source. In any case my dog drank an IIPA one time and he was fine. He likes to knock over peoples' beers and drink them if no one is around.

As for these pests, I've had japanese beetles so far this year. Sevin killed them, but they still would eat a bunch before finally dying. I think a combo of sevin and flicking them off the plant does the trick, because they're too weak to climb back on. I don't really have any qualms about using Sevin because it's so early in the season.

Now I have aphids, and neem seems to be doing the trick.

seems kinda like the chocolate debate to me. takes a very large amount of chocolate to actually be harmful to most dogs, but i keep mine away from any amount anyway.

[bristela]

I've found a beetle (obviously don't know if it's always the same one) after dark chewing away at my hop leaves. I've never seen it during the day and there's always only one. I've included a pic as well as one of the kind of damage I think it's causing. I've also seen leaf damage similar to that shown here but always put it down to snails as it's always restricted to the lower leaves and I've only every found the beetle at about head height. The beetle always looks like it's chowing down on the entire leaf whereas the snails don't seem like they would manage the thicker veins. I've included an example of what I'm talking about. I've got several more pics of pests on my hop growing blog. I'm presuming that the beetle is a Japanese one even though the segment behind its head isn't green, like in the pictures I find with a google image search.

Originally Posted by Zymurgrafi

Japanese beetles are a pretty common pest it seems. I picked them off all summer. Unfortunately nw that I have decided to document them I cannot find a single one to photo. So if anyone has a pic let me know.

Here is what they do...


Best way to deal with them is to pick them off every morning. They are slow in the morning and you can flick them into a container of dishsoap and water. As the day warms up they are harder to catch and will fly away. You can use traps but often the traps will attract more beetles than they catch.

Another preventative measure is to purchase beneficial nematodes and work them into the ground in the late spring/ early summer. These are organisms that will eat the over wintering grubs that will hatch into beetles. They won't stop adult beetles. If you have beetles one year it would probably be a good idea to do this the next season.

[ColumbusAmongus]

Originally Posted by RyanN

Not sure what type of caterpillar this is but it was definitely eating the leaf. I found it on a Centennial.

This I think is a question mark butterfly. These guys are my nemesis. They cycle twice a year on mine. The butterflies come in the spring and lay little green eggs that stack on top of each other. Several caterpillars come out and eat cones and leafs. They are
Black at first then get lighter and develop yellow spiney things. They make these leafy looking chrysalis under my deck that look like so and the new butterflies come out and lay eggs for a second cycle.

[stonebrewer]

You asked earlier in the thread for a Japanese Beetle pic so here it is, fresh off my hops:



Anyone know what this monster bug is? He was hanging around my hops garden on a chair I relax in while watching my girls grow:

[Norlin]

That's an eyed click beetle. Plant juice feeder with wood boring grubs, not one of the "good" insects but dunno if they feast on hops or not.

[Stevo2569]

I keep seeing and crushing little green oval eggs that are attached to the end of sisal rope hairs. Anyone know what these could be? Usually in the same areas of the fuzzy tailed jumpers.

[Norlin]

They could be lacewing eggs, lacewings are a very good bug to have around your hops. Google lacewing eggs and see if they look like that.