Japanese beetle control

[BigHops]

What you're asking is like KFC secret recipe of organic farming..Most will not give up their secrets.

Seven can be used up to mid-July; don't use it after that..This is not organic farming, and wouldn't want to consume that crap after flowering has set in..

They like the hot weather especially after a rain, when foliage is vulnerable.

Neem oil does work..buy the concentrated and increase the ratio and add your wetting agent (soap).

Ahh what the hell..Here’s my ultimate secret weapon...

hxxp://www.gardensalive.com/product.asp?pn=8101

 

[conpewter]

What you're asking is like KFC secret recipe of organic farming..Most will not give up their secrets.

Seven can be used up to mid-July; don't use it after that..This is not organic farming, and wouldn't want to consume that crap after flowering has set in..

They like the hot weather especially after a rain, when foliage is vulnerable.

Neem oil does work..buy the concentrated and increase the ratio and add your wetting agent (soap).

Ahh what the hell..Here’s my ultimate secret weapon...

hxxp://www.gardensalive.com/product.asp?pn=8101

That doesn't look organic either, I'm not sure I want it on the plants if I'm going to use the cones.

 

[BigHops]

Pyola is an insect spray that is made with Canola oil and pyrethrins. These ingredients both come from plants, so this is called a botanical insecticide.

A good read:
hxxp://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/using-botanical-pesticides-in-your-organic-garden.html

Still way better for you than using seven..

Oh, I see you're in Illinois..what ya growing this year, maybe do a small Hops trade..

 

[COLObrewer]

You might try Diatomaceous earth for long term control, And spray them with soap and water in the mornings for the short term.

 

[uechikid]

I used Orthene twice early in the season and had no problems since.

 

[conpewter]

Pyola is an insect spray that is made with Canola oil and pyrethrins. These ingredients both come from plants, so this is called a botanical insecticide.

A good read:
hxxp://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/using-botanical-pesticides-in-your-organic-garden.html

Still way better for you than using seven..

Oh, I see you're in Illinois..what ya growing this year, maybe do a small Hops trade..

I guess I don't like using pyrethrins since it kills everything including ladybugs etc. that keep the mite problem in check. I had a mite issue after spraying for beetles last year. This year I've just let them munch. I may end up with some sacrificial hop varieties.

I'm growing
Cascade
willamette
nugget
fuggle
goldings
centennial

I'll be getting a harvest from the cascade and fuggle, some willamette. The centennial is first year and the others got moved around the yard and didn't produce as well.

 

[conpewter]

Trying to prepare for this year. So far I think I'm going to plant some pole beans or soybeans to distract them. Thinking adding in a systemic pesticide to the bean plants, and making sure to not eat the beans! That way they die when they take a nibble...

My other thought is to be a great guy and give traps to my all my neighbors that are a few houses away.

 

[Randar]

My other thought is to be a great guy and give traps to my all my neighbors that are a few houses away.

Well, only give them to the people upwind of you!

If you treat lawn areas (where the grubs prefer) and leave the garden areas alone you can probably still sleep at night...

And treat your deciduous non-fruit trees with the Bayer tree stuff that gets sucked up into the leaves.

 

[jgln]

We have no problem at all with them on our hops, but our grape vines get attacked big time. Since we planted two peach trees they pick on them now too, especially the fruit. We would pick them off the leaves and feed them to our chickens. Now that the chickens are mature and free roam the yard I wonder if they will find them themselves, at least on the lower leaves of the grapes. That would be a big plus.

 

[conpewter]

Well, only give them to the people upwind of you!

If you treat lawn areas (where the grubs prefer) and leave the garden areas alone you can probably still sleep at night...

And treat your deciduous non-fruit trees with the Bayer tree stuff that gets sucked up into the leaves.

Thought about that second part, but my only trees are Red Maple that they don't touch. Pretty much everything else that grows in my yard either doesn't get eaten by them, or is growing something I'd planned to eat. That is unless I go the poisoned pole bean route. (Bayer stuff on pole beans, don't eat!)

 

[Randar]

Thought about that second part, but my only trees are Red Maple that they don't touch.

Interesting. I have a maple that I didn't think they were attacking but when I applied some topical pesticide via hose-attached spray bottle to the foliage a swarm of them flew out of that damn tree. I had no idea they were even on it.

 

[bierhaus15]

Whatever you do, DO NOT use those yellow-lawn japanese beetle traps!!! All those things are doing is sending out pheromones that lure every japanese beetle in your neighborhood to the vicinity of those traps. And while the trap might kill 2% of those it attracts, the ones it doesn't are going to have one hell of a time feasting on all those plants you were trying to protect. As someone who owns a landscape/garden buisness, it drives me to holy hell when some ignoramus puts up three of those things in their 1 acre yard and then b*tches to me why japanese beetles are eating up all their plants. And if your neighbor is stupid enough to use those things up, then sorry but you now know why you have a japanese beetle problem.

//end rant//

 

[conpewter]

Whatever you do, DO NOT use those yellow-lawn japanese beetle traps!!! All those things are doing is sending out pheromones that lure every japanese beetle in your neighborhood to the vicinity of those traps. And while the trap might kill 2% of those it attracts, the ones it doesn't are going to have one hell of a time feasting on all those plants you were trying to protect. As someone who owns a landscape/garden buisness, it drives me to holy hell when some ignoramus puts up three of those things in their 1 acre yard and then b*tches to me why japanese beetles are eating up all their plants. And if your neighbor is stupid enough to use those things up, then sorry but you now know why you have a japanese beetle problem.

//end rant//

...thus giving them to neighbors several doors down... I'm not evil enough to actually do that though.

 

[sbsam]

a neem oil extract is something to consider. they sell the concentrate or a spray.

 

[Optimal]

this might sound a little out there but has anyone tried building a bat box? I don't know about where you are but if you look up around here at night bats are all over the place.

 

[Retrofit]

Whatever you do, DO NOT use those yellow-lawn japanese beetle traps!!! All those things are doing is sending out pheromones that lure every japanese beetle in your neighborhood to the vicinity of those traps. And while the trap might kill 2% of those it attracts, the ones it doesn't are going to have one hell of a time feasting on all those plants you were trying to protect. As someone who owns a landscape/garden buisness, it drives me to holy hell when some ignoramus puts up three of those things in their 1 acre yard and then b*tches to me why japanese beetles are eating up all their plants. And if your neighbor is stupid enough to use those things up, then sorry but you now know why you have a japanese beetle problem.

//end rant//

I agree that pheremone traps ATTRACT Japanese Beetles. However I had great success using them to SAVE MY HOPS! In the course of two days the Japanese Beetles eating my hops moved to the traps and died a slow humiliating death. I think the key issue is placement. Imagine an "L". My hops are the vertical part of the L. The horizontal line was 10' North of my hop beds. GREAT SUCCESS. Plan to use them this year again because the saved my hops!

Sorry to counter. I can see how they could screw things up, but not for me.

 

[bierhaus15]

I think the key issue is placement.

Yep. Placement is key. Neighbors yard, abandoned field, community hippie garden....

Though in all seriousness, I still wouldn't stick one of those things within 1000 feet of any of my plants. Save a hop plant, kill your shrubbery. Yet, some people do say they work for them. I don't doubt that entirely, it's just that there are far better ways of dealing with japanese beetles then using those things. Also, geography has a lot to do with it. Here in the NE we get a LOT more insect activity then elsewhere, as we usually get lots of rain early in the spring followed by hot summers. And months of lush greenery. Makes for one hell of a japanese beetle breeding ground.

 

[pawtucketpatriot]

I've been using nicotine: I take my cigar ends and my girlfriends cigarette ends and soak them in a gallon of water. I leave the jug out in the sun and let it brew like sun tea. After a day or 2 I filter it into a sprayer and spray my plants. Been working pretty good. Going to put down the oil by my plants this year as well after reading about it!

 

[jgln]

I've been using nicotine: I take my cigar ends and my girlfriends cigarette ends and soak them in a gallon of water. I leave the jug out in the sun and let it brew like sun tea. After a day or 2 I filter it into a sprayer and spray my plants. Been working pretty good. Going to put down the oil by my plants this year as well after reading about it!

Can you make a list of pests this has been effective on?

 

[pawtucketpatriot]

I'm guessing just about any pest from ants to aphids to japanese beetles. I noticed that my plants where starting to be the main course in the yard and a friend told me about the concoction: started using it and whatever was eating my plants stopped (never did get a visual on the bastards!).

 

[jgln]

I'm guessing just about any pest from ants to aphids to japanese beetles. I noticed that my plants where starting to be the main course in the yard and a friend told me about the concoction: started using it and whatever was eating my plants stopped (never did get a visual on the bastards!).

What is funny is I grow tobacco and the #1 pest IS aphids. I guess letting it sit makes the difference.

 

[Randar]

Just thought I would add a nice link to this thread from UK extension program on Japanese beetles.

http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/entfactpdf/ef409.pdf

 

[rico567]

Hey guys the solution is simple! All you gotta do is hire a crew of some extremly small japanese beetle killing ninjas and let em loose, does the job every time!

Now, if only we could turn the Asian ladybug into those extremely small ninjas of which you speak = problem solved! Maybe killing the Japanese beetles would keep them from moving into our house when the cold weather hits....