Our poor Dolgo this year :(

Watch Reply
More
Mark unread Print Skip to new
Dea Frederick, MD(Zone 6a) Jul 16, 2005

This was to be a special year for us and the fruit. Fellow DG'er JoanJ has waited one whole year for me to send her a box of these delicious dolgo crabapples.

This happened over the course of 3 days.....no matter how we picked or sprayed with soapy water the Japanese Beetles just will not leave this tree alone. First time it's ever happened and this is it's 4th year. They are literally swarming in the air around it 24/7. We spray with soapy water, we pick them off but there are too many to contend with - we have never seen the JB's like this in all the time we've lived here :(

What could be causing this?


PS - we are so, so sorry Joan :(

Thumbnail by Dea
Post #1627982
Quote
Joan Belfield, ND(Zone 4a) Jul 16, 2005

Oh No,, I'm so sorry for your tree! Don't worry about me. I'll survive, but will your tree?

Post #1628325
Quote
Dea Frederick, MD(Zone 6a) Jul 16, 2005

Waiting for answers for more knowledgeable folks than us

Post #1628393
Quote
Farmerdill Augusta, GA(Zone 8a) Jul 16, 2005

Hopefully you just had a record hatch this year and they will slow down in the future. They are easy to control if you are willing to use insecticides. Long term, Doom applied to the lawn will severly reduce them. Their larvae stage is a lawn grub.
http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/champaign/homeowners/000708.html
http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entomology/entfacts/trees/ef409.htm
http://web1.msue.msu.edu/vanburen/japbet.htm
http://www.uri.edu/ce/factsheets/sheets/whitegrub.html

Post #1628431
Quote
Dea Frederick, MD(Zone 6a) Jul 16, 2005

Thanks Fd for all the good info - much appreciated. So strange, we had vole/mole city this past winter which was mild so we figured they ate all the larvae.......no such luck.

Post #1628467
Quote
Joan Belfield, ND(Zone 4a) Jul 21, 2005

Dea, I have had your Dolgo tree on my mind. Is it okay still? Are they just eating the apples, or the leaves and all?

I can imagine how heartbroken you are. Trees take a long while to grow, and then to have something like this happen.

Post #1637999
Quote
Dea Frederick, MD(Zone 6a) Jul 21, 2005

The tree itself looks like it will make it :) Almost all the fruit has been eaten and about 15% of the leaves skeletonized. I'm going to do some branch pruning in the fall. This is one of the trees that we are digging up in the spring when we move. Hoping it's not going to be too stressed out !

Thanks

Post #1638216
Quote
Joan Belfield, ND(Zone 4a) Jul 21, 2005

I'm glad it sounds like it will make it. :)

Post #1638675
Quote
Joan Belfield, ND(Zone 4a) Sep 06, 2005

Dea, I was thinking about your Dolgo tree a little while ago, and thought I'd ask about it? Did it survive the brutal ravaging it took?

Post #1742818
Quote
Dea Frederick, MD(Zone 6a) Sep 06, 2005

Pretty chewed up, but yes, it survived :) Hoping to move it in November when it's dormant.

Post #1742896
Quote
Joan Belfield, ND(Zone 4a) Sep 06, 2005

I'm so glad to hear that it survived. :)

Post #1743311
Quote

Post a Reply to this Thread

Please or sign up to post.
Back to Forum Homepage

More Fruits and Nuts Threads

Go to all Fruits and Nuts threads
BACK TO TOP