How to kill Japanese Beetles

[Laura]

Japanese Beetles.
How do I kill them without using harmful chemicals?

In ONE DAY they stripped my 3 year old Honey Crisp Apple tree....of ALL it's leaves!!

Please help!
Laura

[momma_to_seven_chi]

Japanese Beetles.
How do I kill them without using harmful chemicals?

In ONE DAY they stripped my 3 year old Honey Crisp Apple tree....of ALL it's leaves!!

Laura
This is a chemical, but it works.
Bayer advanced tree and shrub kills any insect. It is the same chemical as Advantage that the vet puts on your dog. (imidacloprid)

[macgeoghagen]

I use those traps that you hang up that have the jar and the funnel. they work well. hang one out in the tree.

[NCLee]

If you use those traps, put them as far away from your tree as possible. Rather than solving the problem they actually draw in more of the pests from a wide area.

Neighbor used a bunch of those traps one year. He attracted the ones from our garden. When we compared notes, he had more of a problem with the traps than we did without them.

Lee

[bookwormom]

absolutely, traps need to be placed out of the way. If you live in a neighborhood that may be difficult. I get them mostly on my rugosa roses and raspberries. both are accessible. since the beetles tend to cluster, I go along the rows with an icecreambucket of water with dishsoap, hold it under the twig and shake them in. We have gotten incredible amounts that way. when I am done I put the bucket in the henlot. chickens love them.
Neem oil is natural and supposed to work really well, but I have not seen it here and when I asked even the nursery man did not know what I was talking about.

[pubwvj]

Chickens and ducks are what we use for pest control. The trick is letting them run through the various vegetable patches while the plants are at the right sizes and otherwise keeping them out of the gardens. Very doable. We run the poultry through in the spring before planting. Then if I see any problem insects or a need for weeding. Then again in the fall to glean.

In gardens with non-ground crops I run the pigs through too in the spring and fall to clean and turn the soil. Mob grazing they do a great job of tilling. I own no other tiller.

[Using] tiller pigs and weeder chickens, we turn our poor mountain soil into rich gardens:



Doing this we plant large gardens that are then available for livestock food in the late fall and winter which lets us feed our animals more from our farm and not buy feed. It helps.

Additional helpful things are the various bacteria Bt which targets specific species of insects and diatomaceous earth. Don't spread DE during pollination though because it is non-selective - e.g., it hits beneficial insects like bees. Speaking of beneficial insects, we also have native tiny wasps, praying mantis and ladybugs that all do their jobs and you can buy those to get your populations going.

Merry Christmas!

Walter
Sugar Mtn Farm
in Vermont

[Boots]

Several years ago, I had a problem with the white grubs that become japaense beetles. A friend suggested I put down Milky Spore, a naturally occuring product that will kill the grubs, thus reducing the beetle population. It does take several years for it to work, but once it does, no more grubs or beetles.
http://www.emmitsburg.net/gardens/articles/frederick/2001/japanese_beetles.htm

[nhlivefreeordie]

I think your milky spore and BT are the same things. An application of Bacillus thuringiensis a couple seasons in a row will drastically cut down on the beetles in your yard, you will still get some from the neighbors, but it will be drastically reduced. I have used it in past years, and we hardly have any, just a couple here and there that we hand pick now.

[Pokeberry Mary]

I'm thinking that it would be pretty hard to use organic means to get tree leaves. I'd probably go with the Bayer product--then try to use organic means to get the problem more under control at the same time for the future.

I do use the Advantage on our dog --it works.

[SPIKE]

Japaneese beetles are drawn to four o'clock flowers where they dine on the leaves. Fortunately for the gardener, four o'clocks are poisonous for the beetles. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!

SPIKE

[nhlivefreeordie]

I'm thinking that it would be pretty hard to use organic means to get tree leaves. I'd probably go with the Bayer product--then try to use organic means to get the problem more under control at the same time for the future.

I do use the Advantage on our dog --it works.

The BT works in the soil to kill the beetles in their larval stage. BT is a naturally occurring bacteria.

[SPIKE]

Milky spore and BT are not the same thing.

Milky spore disease, Bacillus popilliae is a nontoxic way to control grubs. Commercial milky spore dust is made by inoculating beetle grubs with the disease and then extracting the spores, which resemble dust or powder when dry. The spores can be applied any time except when the ground is frozen or a strong wind is blowing. Grubs become infected when they feed on the thatch or roots of grass where the spores have been applied. As the infected grubs move about in the soil, then die and disintegrate, they release one or two billion spores back into the soil. This spreads the disease to succeeding generations of grubs. If the conditions are right, grub population high and feeding vigorously, and soil is at least 70 degrees F and very moist, the disease can spread through the grub population in a week or two. In general, however, the disease should not be thought of as a quick knockdown insecticide. It may take a season or two before it has a substantial impact. It can remain effective for a decade.

Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) is a naturally occurring soil bacterium; it is a spore-forming rod and an insect pathogen. Different strains are toxic to particular kinds of insects. There are nearly 400 registered products that have been marketed in the country, providing effective control of such major insect pests as gypsy moths, mosquitoes, blackflies, and many others. These B.t. strains are only effective against insects in their larval feeding stages, since B.t. must be ingested to be effective. Depending on how much B.t. is ingested, insect larva soon stop feeding and are dead in a few days to a few weeks. B.t. is completely biodegradable, and does not persist in the digestive systems of birds or mammals. There is no evidence that B.t. goes on to reproduce in the wild. B.t.'s short biological half-life and high specificity makes the development of field resistance much more unlikely than with chemical pesticides if used in a targeted fashion. Infections of humans have been extremely rare. Neither irritative nor sensitizing effects have been reported in workers preparing and applying commercial products. B.t. is toxic to most caterpillars.

SPIKE

[nhlivefreeordie]

Milky spore and BT are not the same thing.

Milky spore disease, Bacillus popilliae is a nontoxic way to control grubs. Commercial milky spore dust is made by inoculating beetle grubs with the disease and then extracting the spores, which resemble dust or powder when dry. The spores can be applied any time except when the ground is frozen or a strong wind is blowing. Grubs become infected when they feed on the thatch or roots of grass where the spores have been applied. As the infected grubs move about in the soil, then die and disintegrate, they release one or two billion spores back into the soil. This spreads the disease to succeeding generations of grubs. If the conditions are right, grub population high and feeding vigorously, and soil is at least 70 degrees F and very moist, the disease can spread through the grub population in a week or two. In general, however, the disease should not be thought of as a quick knockdown insecticide. It may take a season or two before it has a substantial impact. It can remain effective for a decade.

Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) is a naturally occurring soil bacterium; it is a spore-forming rod and an insect pathogen. Different strains are toxic to particular kinds of insects. There are nearly 400 registered products that have been marketed in the country, providing effective control of such major insect pests as gypsy moths, mosquitoes, blackflies, and many others. These B.t. strains are only effective against insects in their larval feeding stages, since B.t. must be ingested to be effective. Depending on how much B.t. is ingested, insect larva soon stop feeding and are dead in a few days to a few weeks. B.t. is completely biodegradable, and does not persist in the digestive systems of birds or mammals. There is no evidence that B.t. goes on to reproduce in the wild. B.t.'s short biological half-life and high specificity makes the development of field resistance much more unlikely than with chemical pesticides if used in a targeted fashion. Infections of humans have been extremely rare. Neither irritative nor sensitizing effects have been reported in workers preparing and applying commercial products. B.t. is toxic to most caterpillars.

SPIKE

Thanks for the clarification, learn something every day. I have only used the BT and had very good results after a couple seasons.

[Oblio13]

Hang a couple of those traps without the bags over your chicken run. No extra charge for the entertainment.

[MinotBob]

I would think that diatomatious earth would work very well. It a naturally occurring fossilized shells of Diatoms. It would score the beetles and they would die of dehydration. It's inexpensive. I think I paid about $28+shipping for 50# from https://www.earthworkshealth.com/

From their website:
For control of aphids, white fly, beetles, loopers, mites, snails, slugs, leaf hoppers, and others, use Diatomaceous Earth inside your home, greenhouse or outdoors on fruits, vegetables, flowers, grains and grass, up to and including day of harvest. For dry application of Diatomaceous Earth use a duster and cover entire plant, apply to both top and bottom of leaf. For young plants, as little as two pounds per acre may be adequate. For larger plants, five lbs. per acre is probably sufficient. Diatomaceous Earth will need reapplication after a rain. Applies best when there is dew or after a light rain. It is a long lasting, effective powder. The insects can not build up resistance. DE can be sprayed or whitewashed by mixing 1 cup DE with 1/2 Gallon of water. Stir frequently and spray/paint trees, yards, and fences. Diatomaceous Earth will not harm earthworms or beneficial soil microorganisms. Wear a dust mask when applying large amounts of it.

[marshall]

We have huge Japanese Beetles sometimes here. Good thing we don''t have a garden (bad soil), if we did, all the plants would be eaten.
I once walked into one that was in a tree. Eww!

I don't see why DE wouldn't work, it works keeping chicken lice under control.

Ondra, Marshall's daughter

(http://www.genverters.com)