Japanese beetle and Plantskydd

My brother in Virginia called to say deer have got most of his lilies and new appletrees. Japanese beetles have decimated his veggie garden planted in May. sob sob.

So, what works?

Does plantskydd really work. Please advise. Do most people use the ready mixed or the powder?

What do people use for japanese beetle?

After listening to brothers tales of woe, think I would turn to chemicals if I lived there.

Also, are there iris borers in S. Virginia, one hour from Richmond.

inanda

(Planted iris for him in May). inanda

This message was edited Jul 5, 2006 12:33 PM

This message was edited Jul 6, 2006 10:29 AM

Tried to add a photo. No go so here it is.

It is sideways so ... have lots to learn yet re photos.

I was taken by the dark side of the force this year and resorted to liquid sevin for the beatles. They emerged overnight and were covering almost everything. Sevin is the only thing I've had work on them.

I've heard mixed reports on Plantskydd, but have never tried it.

Sprayed mine with Plantskydd on a regular basis and only lost one to rabbits. Gingerjar (I believe, who has lots of daylilies and deer) has had mixed results. I think the trick with deer is to spray new/top growth.

I've used both the RTU and dry. The powder is extremely fine and not easily wettable, but much more cost effective. Best product on the market to date.

I live in a densely wooded neighborhood and we have *lots* of deer. I have learned to plant things that deer usually won't eat (except for lilies--can't give those up). I have a lily bed in my backyard that I keep the deer (and rabbits, woodchucks, squirrels, and anything else) out of with a motion-sensitive sprinkler. I think it's called the "Scare Crow Sprinkler". I got mine on eBay last year, although I've also seen them at garden centers. In my experience, the Plantskydd (sp?), Liquid Fence, and all those horrible-smelling concoctions will only work for so long. I've used them all, with success for several weeks. After that, many deer become de-sensitized to it and will eat it anyway.

The sprinkler cost me about $70 last year--a lot, I know, for a sprinkler, but it hasn't let me down since I stuck it in the ground. There is a website for it with more info if you're interested (try web searching for Scarecrow sprinkler). You can adjust the sensitivity, the distance of the spray, etc.



This message was edited Jul 5, 2006 3:01 PM

I used Plantskydd this year...and have had good luck. The only drawback is... boy does it smell for a couple of days.

Deb

Hi Inanda. I live about 70 miles or so from Richmond (I am north) and we have lots of insects, grubs, and wildlife that forced us into chemical assault. Actually, it was the Japanese Beetle invasion that turned me from being strictly organic to a Sevin-user. For the past two years, Japanese Beetles completely invaded many of our perennials, shrubs, and trees.

This year, we have begun using Sevin with very good results. Once sprayed, in fact, the Beetles immediately drop-to-the-ground. From what I've learned, these beetles emerge from the ground. Our next line of attack is an application directly in the lawn prior to their lift-off, but with about 2 acres that is lawn, we are talking about big bags of Yuck.

I also grow a number of Irises, including species, and since the area does have iris borer, I use a pelletized application. After watering (or rain), the chemical is released into the ground and the borer is killed. It too has worked very well in my gardens.

I have hated to go to such lengths, but after trying numerous alternatives, we were left with no other choice. Watching your mature plants become devoured in a week is not my idea of gardening. Besides, I love gardening and figure that I'm bigger than they are! LOL (I still feel like such a turncoat.....)

Wildlife like deer, bear, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, etc, are a different situation. We have a larger-than-wanted deer population in our woods (and in neighboring woods). Having a stream on our property is an open invitation to "come on over and have a good life here". LOL So, we tolerate the deer and their winter munching on 2 18-year old Euyonomous bushes. That said, we draw a line when it comes to eating our vegetable plants and veges in the vege gardens. We have looked at sprinklers but were unsure if they would be effective. We've been pretty safe with a 6-foot wire fence surrounding the vege garden, but it's pretty unattractive, so we may go with a sprinkler -- esp. after reading about other people having such good results.

Chipmunks and rabbits are way too plentiful in our place (and too destructive), so we use a Have-A-Heart trap to capture them and put them into a relocation system. Wish I could do that with the deer.....