Japanese Beetles

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sweetpetutie

Member
I read in several articles the benefits of Lady Bugs and Praying Mantis in a garden as they dine on bad bugs. I have always liked these bugs anyway, so I ordered a bunch of them for both reasons. I don't like spraying or powders because we have pets and some of the plants are around the pool, and now I don't want to hurt the LB's and PM's. The bags and water jugs with scents to lure them in do absolutely nothing. They are always so thick and destructive to my plants. Any suggestions?
 
itsbob

itsbob

I bowl overhand
sweetpetutie said:
I read in several articles the benefits of Lady Bugs and Praying Mantis in a garden as they dine on bad bugs. I have always liked these bugs anyway, so I ordered a bunch of them for both reasons. I don't like spraying or powders because we have pets and some of the plants are around the pool, and now I don't want to hurt the LB's and PM's. The bags and water jugs with scents to lure them in do absolutely nothing. They are always so thick and destructive to my plants. Any suggestions?
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Japanese Beetle traps work great at both attracting and killing them, but you have to put up with the several that will be attracted but don't fall into the traps.

Best bet?

Hide a few traps in your downwind neghbors yard.

Or skip the traps, and just throw five or six of the lures on the roof of their house!
 
Pushrod

Pushrod

Patriot
Try "Milky Spore". It puts a bacteria in the ground that infects the larvae and keeps them from reproducing. From what I heard it is the best Japanese Beetle treatment.
 
libertytyranny

libertytyranny

Dream Stealer
Pushrod said:
Try "Milky Spore". It puts a bacteria in the ground that infects the larvae and keeps them from reproducing. From what I heard it is the best Japanese Beetle treatment.
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Yeah but you get the nieghbors beetles...lol..I say forget the lady bugs..they eat aphids not beetles..and get some blu jays..I think it is blue jays..anyway they eat the heck out of the beetles...order a flock of them instead.
 
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rickl5296

New Member
libertytyranny said:
Yeah but you get the nieghbors beetles...lol..I say forget the lady bugs..they eat aphids not beetles..and get some blu jays..I think it is blue jays..anyway they eat the heck out of the beetles...order a flock of them instead.
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Milky spore doesn't work. It will work on the immatures after a period of time and requires an active population of grubs. Only works on jap beetles and does not work on other scarab beetles. Applying a neonicotinal insecticide to susecptible plants now will give systemic protection against the feeding of japanese beetles in the summer. Look for the active ingredients imidacloprid, clothianidin, or dinotefuron. You should find these in a Spectricide, Bayer Advanced, or Ortho products. Read the label. A soil drench on purple plum, japanese maple, crape myrtle, others will work to give season long control without hurting beneficials; Caution: imidacloprid may effect honey bees. Try to apply after bloom when plants are vigorously growing. Crape Myrtle may be a problem since they bloom in late summer.
 
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