Japanese Beetles

[FarmerShawn]

Originally Posted by simmran1

One thing I invested in yesterday- is Surround WP. (Wettable Powder) uses the vehicle of water and kaolin clay in a pressure sprayer, to coat the plants. I got from Gardens Alive, (with the 25% off).
Details

Surround at Home Crop Protectant forms a barrier film, which acts as a broad spectrum crop protectant for home, landscape and garden use for controlling damage from various insects, mites and disease pests, as a growth enhancer and as a protectant against sunburn and heat stress. Apply every 3 to 14 days depending on weather conditions (see label for accurate rates).

Controlsaphids, Japanese beetles, leafhoppers, crickets and thrips, grasshoppers, whiteflies, cutworms, weevils, loopers, rust mites, oblique-banded leaf-rollers, codling moths, apple maggots, green fruitworms, Mexican bean beetles, Colorado potato beetles, flea beetles and cucumber beetles.

I use this stuff, and it does have some effect on the Japanese beetles, but you have to reapply several times, especially after each rain, at least until you have built up a good barrier layer. Later in the summer I don't have to be quite so vigilant, as the film once it is built up stays around better. It doesn't eliminate the beetles, but it does limit them to tolerable levels. And is fairly effective on cucumber beetles. I like it because it is completely safe, being nothing more than finely ground clay. It also leaves everything sprayed looking quite ghostly white, which I thought would affect photosynthesis, but it doesn't seem to. I spray my apple trees, grape vines, cucurbits, beans - pretty much anything that is bothered by a voracious beetle of any kind. It kills nothing, but makes life uncomfortable for them, so they move on.

[JamesL]

Shawn and Simmran,
I started looking at Surround as I prepare to do battle with the Cuke beetles.
I am not growing that many plants and last year it felt like I had planted out and they were on me the same afternoon. Bacterial wilt took them out eventually.
Thoughts on effectiveness?
Shawn you wrote fairly effective, any further info you can provide?
They tout it for sunburn protection on tomatoes as well. Anybody tried it?
I was wondering if it would be also be effective as a hardening off aid and/or for the dog days of August. And it appears you can mix other products into it.
http://www.novasource.com/english/ag...und_tomato.pdf

Lastly, how much coverage did you get out of a pound?
Gardens Alive - $25 off = $42 for me including shipping for 20lbs. That's a good price depending on how much I need to use.

[shelleybean]

I've found a few Japanese beetles over the last couple of days on my peas and my pole beans. I sprayed Neem because that's what I had on hand. I ordered some DE and I'll dust with that when it arrives. I have had such horrible damage to pole beans in the past. I really want to knock these guys out early.

Also saw my first cucumber beetle of the season today. I am ready with glue traps and lures. Has anyone had good luck with these?

And while we're at it, the squash vine borer moth has been making her rounds, as well. I'm going to try injecting Bt into the stems of the squash this time. If anyone wants to discuss further, we can start another thread, since this is really about Japanese beetles.

[noinwi]

Back in Wisconsin, the JB's preferred my basil to my beans. Every year they were all over the basil, which was about 15' away from my trellised beans. I usually took a bucket of soapy water out and flicked them into it. We were at a lake's edge, so any grubs I found while digging got tossed into the lake for the blue gills. They also loved the rhubarb which I wasn't too concerned with as it was usually later in the season past the stalk harvest. I did eventually buy some milky spore, but then we decided to move and I never got to use it. I gave it to our neighbor who was going to take over my garden area. They pretty much left my maters and peppers alone. They easily get hung up in nylon tulle, so maybe you could use that over some of your plants. We were in an apartment building next to a vacant wooded lot so there was not much I could on a large scale.

[luigiwu]

What's the verdict on effective handling of beetles? Something is eating my tomato leaves and leaving not so nice lacey patterns on them. I saw a flying bronzey looking thing today but failed to smash it.
I have a tiny garden but am squeemish so you won't see me out there getting that close to them to flick into soapy water! I'm leaning towards spray Neem (if that works) or getting a duster to dust DE... ? How about AzaMax, will that do anything?

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by Geezer

These guys and voles are my two most annoying garden pests. The best way I've found to deter them in my garden is to use the traps.

Buy the traps at your local hardware or big box store. Open the box and throw everything away EXCEPT the little pherome attractant disc. Drive about a 1/4 mile away from your garden and attach the disc to the yellow line in the middle of the road.

I do this at four places on separate roads for East, West, North and South and it has really reduced the adult beetle population in my garden! The little *$^@!s get a whiff of the pherome, land in the middle of the road asking "where's the orgy", then gets hit by the passing traffic!
Even during "non beetle season" there is something very satisfying about seeing these greasy spots in the road, left from year to year.

Evil Ed

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by JamesL

Shawn and Simmran,
I started looking at Surround as I prepare to do battle with the Cuke beetles.
I am not growing that many plants and last year it felt like I had planted out and they were on me the same afternoon. Bacterial wilt took them out eventually.
Thoughts on effectiveness?
Shawn you wrote fairly effective, any further info you can provide?
They tout it for sunburn protection on tomatoes as well. Anybody tried it?
I was wondering if it would be also be effective as a hardening off aid and/or for the dog days of August. And it appears you can mix other products into it.
http://www.novasource.com/english/ag...und_tomato.pdf

Lastly, how much coverage did you get out of a pound?
Gardens Alive - $25 off = $42 for me including shipping for 20lbs. That's a good price depending on how much I need to use.

This will be in my weapons plan from now on. I wonder how it will work on cool season gardens?

[rhines81]

I swear by the beetle bag traps ... works for me every year and catches a ton of beetles. Trick is not to put them near your garden! If you have less than a 1/2 acre then something else may work better for you. Yes, they are grubs in their larval stage and there are some effective treatments to kill those (but think twice if you have well water!)

[DonnaMarieNJ]

A neighbor is giving me an Ellisco trap - very old - he found in his garage. Is it worth it? Can I use any bait with it? I'll have to hang it far from the house.

[twillis2252]

Japanese Beetle season is coming and never too early to be pro-active and plan your attack strategy. Last year the little imps gave me a fit with my peach and plum trees not to mention they were aggressive on my okra and my wife's rose bushes.

Would like to know what plans you have to combat these pests. Earlier posts were very informative.

[Mbrown9510]

Originally Posted by shelleybean

I've found a few Japanese beetles over the last couple of days on my peas and my pole beans. I sprayed Neem because that's what I had on hand. I ordered some DE and I'll dust with that when it arrives. I have had such horrible damage to pole beans in the past. I really want to knock these guys out early.



Also saw my first cucumber beetle of the season today. I am ready with glue traps and lures. Has anyone had good luck with these?



And while we're at it, the squash vine borer moth has been making her rounds, as well. I'm going to try injecting Bt into the stems of the squash this time. If anyone wants to discuss further, we can start another thread, since this is really about Japanese beetles.

What is Bt? My daughter has had her pumpkin plants decimated by squash vine borers.


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[BigVanVader]

Originally Posted by JamesL

Shawn and Simmran,
I started looking at Surround as I prepare to do battle with the Cuke beetles.
I am not growing that many plants and last year it felt like I had planted out and they were on me the same afternoon. Bacterial wilt took them out eventually.
Thoughts on effectiveness?
Shawn you wrote fairly effective, any further info you can provide?
They tout it for sunburn protection on tomatoes as well. Anybody tried it?
I was wondering if it would be also be effective as a hardening off aid and/or for the dog days of August. And it appears you can mix other products into it.
http://www.novasource.com/english/ag...und_tomato.pdf

Lastly, how much coverage did you get out of a pound?
Gardens Alive - $25 off = $42 for me including shipping for 20lbs. That's a good price depending on how much I need to use.

I used it last year and found it to be very effective if used properly. The best way is to dip you seedlings in it before plant out (or as soon as they are outside). Early stages are crucial to protect from insect damage so make sure you maintain coverage. Once the plants are bigger you can be slightly more lax. It does help with sunburn and lowers the internal temp of the plant/fruits which can delay ripening, if that is a concern. Otherwise I see no drawbacks.

[Labradors2]

Good stuff BigVanVader! I was planning to get some surround for my apples this year. Didn't realize that I could use it for cukes too

Linda

[Labradors2]

MBrown, BT kills caterpillars. I doubt that it would work on squash borers

Linda

[SteveP]

I just noticed at least 2 dozen JB's on my rose bushes in the front yard. Last year they were 100's of them before I noticed them. Time to send them to their maker with Sevin spray. One treatment took care of them last year.

Although I am thinking about catching them and blowing them up with Black
Cat firecrackers.