Japanese Beetles have arrived in Ohio

Sorry to report I found my first one today - I was just wishfully thinking earlier today that maybe we wouldn't be plagued this year. Time for the early morning visits to the garden with my "jar of death." I know they say hand-picking is not effective, but I can't see where reducing the volume can hurt.

Well, they have arrived in Robesonia, PA also. I was sitting in my garden and saw three of them inside a clematis bloom. I couldn't believe they were here already. Last year I hand picked 2 or 3 times a day. It was effective because I saved all my crepe myrtles and they really didn't look that bad. I don't know why anyone would say that because I killed thousands in bottles of soapy water that I hand picked. I am going to try something new this year. After doing much research over the winter I'm going spray all my crepes with a product called Mosquito Barrier. Supposedly the beetles avoid plants that are sprayed with this product and it is safe to use. Even if it doesn't keep them off completely I hope it at least deters them.

I am willing to try anything, after what they've done to my roses over the years, I show no mercy whatsoever. Years ago, before I knew what they were, the first one elicited a response, like, what a beautiful bug!! Uh huh. I soon found out what was behind that irridescent facade, DEATH and DESTRUCTION. I hate them with a passion. KILL them all!! Surely this is one insect we could remove from the food chain without detrimental results....

These beetles are driving me crazy. We sprayed most everything with 7 dust & they're back the next am. I make the rounds 2-3 times a day to squash em. The beetle traps do a great job but what am I suppose to do with the bag? My pup chewed a hole in the end of the bag last time & they started flying away. I was able to dump most of them on a pile of dirt & beat the heck out of 'em with a shovel. Not wanting the pup around it, I moved it to a higher tree branch & it's full again. What would you do to get rid of them? I thought about making a fire but we have a burn ban on. What are the possible negatives issues using the beetle bags & the sevn dust?

First of all, the Sevin dust will kill beneficial insects along with the beetles. Since the honeybees are already being wiped out by some hive parasite I don't want to kill the ones that are in my flowerbeds. Plus, I have many other beneficial insects throughout my gardens. I tried the traps last year for about a week but my yard isn't large enough. I wasn't able to place the bags far enough away from my plants and all it did was attract more beetles to my beds. The Mosquito Barrier that I used seemed to have some effect but the beetles weren't deterred completely. Plus, after it rained it didn't seem to have any effect at all. I'm convinced that there isn't anything that will keep this horrible beetle from your yard completely. So, I do as you do. I go out 2 to 3 times a day and make the rounds to their favorite plants and put them in a container of soapy water to kill them. If anyone can tell me of any product that will get rid of ONLY the beetles please let me know. Until then, to me, hand picking is the only option.

It may not be a short term fix, but if you're trying to get rid of the beetles without harming good insects, milky spore will take care of the larvae, and I think there's a beneficial nematode that also eats their larvae, so you might try one of those.

I did the milky spore last year but my lawn guy said that it takes a couple years to be effective, plus if your neighbors don't use it their beetles will certainly make it to my yard. The bio-friendly exterminator that I use when I need one in the house said that he has found the nematodes don't make much of a difference. I tried them too last year and still have beetles.

No time like the present to start with the milky spore. I think I'll try the mosquito barrier too, at least on a few favorite things. I got rid of the traps (what a nasty mess) & I'm back after my 2nd round of "pick & squash". This evening I'll try the soapy water.
I read how they like corn, especially the silk & sure enough they're all up in them. I'll try to work on being more eco friendly next year. :(

Well if they love corn I shouldn't have any. I live right next to a cornfield. Hmmm, wonder if the farmer would notice if I would put bags downwind from my yard in the middle of the corn??? I've also come in from my second round of dropping them into soapy water. So far I haven't had as many as last year, but 2007 was the worst I have ever seen. I felt as if I was under attack by swarms. I could make a round of my yard picking them off and there would be just as many on when I was finished. At least this year they haven't swarmed right after I finish picking. I'm going to respray with the mosquito barrier and really drench the plants to see if that makes a difference. My summer would be so much more relaxing if this evil insect didn't exist!

suscwbuff, let me know how that situation with the farmer works out for you. ;)
Have you tried spraying the shrub with soapy water? It must be the detergent that zaps them, you think? Just thinking out loud, I know everyone must have thought of this & it doesn't work so...nevermind.
Just curious but do they ever chase you...I mean the ones you miss, do they dive bomb you? Is that what you mean by them swarming?

Neem oil and insecticidal soap are said to be effective. I do better with a systemic such as imidacloprid that is poured around the base of the plant. As an experiment I treated a knock out rose and didn't treat a climber that is next to it that I am going to get rid of. The knock out shows a rare leaf bite and the climber is being stripped. Being a systemic I would think it would be relatively harmless to bees and such.

Roger

They will only be drawn to corn silks for a very short time...better have plan B ready.

For many people it takes a multi-approach. Many of the things that the JBs like are not blooming as they like certain green leaves and fruits.....so Sevin used on those things is not an automatic bee killer.

Traps properly utilized kills thousands of beetles...organically no less. Dump the beetles from the bags into hot water to kill them. Do not bury them as they contain eggs ready to hatch in some of them.

I saw the first one yesterday and one today...both on potato leaves as usual for the first ones.

I've seen some information suggesting that the systemics are harmful to bees, since it gets absorbed through the roots and goes out into the leaves it makes sense that it could be in the flowers too, then the bees are exposed to it. I haven't done a ton of research on it, but it wouldn't hurt to do a little googling before you use it in your garden to make sure you're comfortable with it.

I don't think that Sevin is systematic.......not sure , but I was thinking of the things JBs love like grape leaves, plum leaves, rose blooms, and such. These are not bee magnets.

Sevin is not a systemic--since it's a powder as long as it sticks around it can have some residual activity but that's not the same thing as the systemics, they get absorbed into the plant and basically make the plant toxic to bugs. Imidacloprid which Roger mentioned a few posts ago is the most common systemic active--you'll find it in products like Bayer Tree & Shrub.

If I go out in the middle of the afternoon when they are most active to hand pick, yes I get "dive bombed" by them. That's because JB's don't see very well when flying and are attracted to the plants by the scent of the other beetles. I guess when they're trying to get away they just fly and don't see what they're flying into which would be me. Knock on wood, but so far they aren't as bad as last year, although my crepes aren't blooming yet. I do use a JB Killer spray from Bonide that does work if you coat the beetle. I use that on my tall crepe that isn't near any of my flowers. Plus, I use the product late in the evening or early in the morning. My other crepes are all planted in among my flower beds which is why I don't want to use any of the insecticides on them. I'm going to check out the systemic product mentioned earlier.

Systemics are still insecticides, just ones that get absorbed into the plant's tissues and keep killing bugs for a long time, vs ones that you spray on which kill right away but then go away. If you are opposed to using insecticides on your flowers, I don't think you'd want to consider these either.

Well, I have to report that yesterday and today I feel like I'm losing the battle. The mosquito barrier product does seem to have some effect when used on the crepe myrtles. However, it has no effect at all on my clematis or oak leaf hydrangea. I saturated the hydrangea last night and it was covered this afternoon with beetles. I don't know if it's worth purchasing. I have been using the Japanese Beetle Killer from Bonide. I purchase it from the Biochemical network. It does kill them but the ingredients are natural and dissipate, hope I spelled that correctly, after a few hours. It's not long lasting but it does work if you have a pile of beetles on a bush. Plus, you do have to hit the beetle. It won't kill it if the product doesn't hit it. I think the main ingredient comes from mums. I do only use this product on my non-blooming plants because it can kill other things if you hit them.

I'm struggling with the dreaded beetle, too, and just bought traps to place around. They are destroying my climbing hydrangeas, roses, and just about everything else. I have a young linden tree that they love, and I expect I'll have to remove. My main concern now is my raspberry bushes on which I refuse to use insecticides. This is a stupid question, but do you wear gloves when picking the bugs off the plants? And you just place them in a jar of soapy water? Do they die there?

I carry my soapy water in a plastic pail/bucket. I can pick them off with gloved hands or the easiest way is to shake a section of the infected area down to the pail. A few fly off but not many. Remember to dump the pail after each round of picking.
A major mistake I made was using the same bucket of soapy water 2 days in a row. The smell was horrid & I didn't know what to do with all those dead beetles. So gross! bleah HTH

It sounds really disgusting! Where do you dump them?

Some larva will hatch out from those dead beetles so don;t dump them where there is soil or grass.

Geez, I was waiting for someone to tell us how they get rid of the dead beetles. How about flushing them down the toilet into the drainfield/sewer? Hopefully there's a better answer. Frog, it is gross. Nothing pleasant about these beast.



Indy, you mentioned a plan B in reference to my corn. What is plan B? I wonder how the big land use farmers handle it?

What I meant was that the beetles will only be interested in corn silks for a few days and then they will seek out other things. I don't have much trouble on corn with the beetles because I have several other things they like...like wild grape vine leaves on the fence, young raspberry leaves, young plum leaves, hollyhock blooms,and hibiscus blooms.
Actually the farmers usually just have beetles on corn and soybeans on a few outside rows next to grass roadsides or pastures.

Here is what I've done in the last 24 hours: cut down my linden tree; pulled the climbing hydrangeas; picked some of the disgusting critters and drowned them; sprayed roses and raspberries with organic garlic spray (VeggiePharm); knotted up the beetle bags and dunked them in soapy water.......I have become a Beetle Maniac! I'm just hoping it makes a difference.

Indy you were right on the money. First day it hasn't rained in a few, I went to town & by the time I got home those menaces ate the blooms off my crepe myrtles. They're piled up 4 & 5 deep. I shook the tree & they didn't budge, so I knocked them off in a fit of anger. My apple trees look bad too.

Let me know how the garlic spray works. I am tired & just want them to leave. Speaking of...when do they usually start leaving? Is there typically a time frame they're here for, then they just vanish?

The beetles slowly lessen in number...especially if you have killed a lot of them off. When it cools off a bit, they mostly disappear. That is the first part of September here.

Not that I would wish these hated beetles on anyone but I guess it does make me feel a little better that I'm not the only one waging war on these beetles. I've tried the garlic spray. It seems to deter them for a day or two but then they're on the plant. I have 30 crepe myrtles and other plants that they love so it was too many to keep spraying that often. I've still found that handpicking three times a day seems to work the best if you don't want to use pesticides. As I mentioned previously, I do use Japanese Beetle Killer from Bonide and that does kill the beetle. I hang out my bedroom window to spray the top of my 10 ft. crepe. Obviously I can't hand pick that one. I use it early morning and late evening when other insects aren't around. If the spray doesn't hit the insect it won't kill it so I'm careful to just hit the beetles. The main ingredient is from mums. Around here I they seem to dwindle during the middle of August. I just find it so hard to believe that NO ONE has discovered anything that can be sprayed on a plant that tastes so bad that the beetle doesn't want to eat it. Has anyone ever used a "pepper spray" recipe to deter them? FrogandToad you're not the only "beetle maniac". I've even gotten to the point that I'll just squash them with a gloved hand or between two leaves if I don't have the soapy water with me. And, I make sure that I'm home enough to make the rounds of the shrubs before major damage can be done.

We were discussing "@&%^*$#" Japanese Beetles in another forum and I thought I'd come here to see if there is more info. There is no apparent easy fix for them.

We've discussed Beneficial Nematodes and Milky Spore. Both are expensive and though they eliminate the grubs on our property we still suffer from JBs traveling to our yards. For instance, instead of killing a million JBs we may only need to kill half a mil that come from our neighbor's yards.

The insecticides you have already discussed. So did we and we don't want to kill all bugs, either. Just JBs. The soapy water works but we can't get them all. Those in the trees aren't coming down for a refreshing dip.

I've used the bags and admit they work at gathering them but I have the same problem of disposal and smell of the bait as noted here.

The plant, Four O'Clocks, Mirabilis jalapa was discussed. Apparently the JBs eat them and die. They are toxic to JBs. Four O'Clocks are hardy to Zone 7b. Us northern folk would have to dig up the tubers in the fall, keep them in a cool dry place over winter and re-plant them in the spring. They are prolific re-seeders, even to the point of being invasive. I'm not sure how prolific they would be for us northern folk. I'll let you know the spring after next.

Gary

Nice JB summary, Gary. I use all the methods to some extent. I live out in the country and it isn't neighbors not doing their part, but it is the fields that are a reservoir for beetles. too.

Happy beetling.

I live in a rural area also and have 3 acres of yard to mow. I've got corn on 3 sides and beans across the road from me. One would think whatever the farmers put down to control cutworm would also control JBs.

I had to run the numbers twice when I was figuring how much the organic pre-emergent stuff would be. Nearly gave me a heart attack.

I'm planning on adding three or four beds of 4 o'clocks next spring. It seems the cheapest and easiest way to go. There are a few colors available and as I understand it each plant can have several colors blooming. I'll dig up half the tubers next fall to see what happens the second spring from now.

Gary

Hadn't heard that about the Four O'clocks. I'm willing to try anything new next year. I have the same problem with fields. I'm surrounded by cornfields on two sides. Next year it will be soybeans but the problem still remains. I see beetles swarming over the crops and my tasty garden is right next door. I just am so torn about the bags. My cousin is basically beetle free because a neighbor has a bag in the yard. Last year I tried it but I was still under attack in the garden. With the fields all around me the bags were filling up every 3 or 4 hours and they were still all over my crepe myrtles.

Well, these posts are discouraging. I'm also under attack. I've never had or seen this many JBs. They are devouring my 14 knock out rose bushes. There are way too many to hand pick, although I tried my best. And the thorns also get in the way. I did let a little steam off by occasionally throwing them on the sidewalk and smushing them to death instead of throwing them in the soapy water. My neighbor has always put a bag out in his front yard. My problem is in the back yard so far. I didn't know what to do except get a bag. My husband put it up and within minutes they were swarming and the bag was filling up. But i really hate those bags, the smell bothers me. but i also hate the sight of my rose bushes turning into skeletons. The store where I purchased the bag told me about milky spore since I said I could not do any chemicals. But I didn't read about anyone who's tried it. the store person did it and said he saw a significant difference this year. (and he did mention it's helpful if your neighbors also do it) Please everyone keep writing about what you're trying. Su

This year I used Bayer Rose & Flower care. It is poured around the rose bush or other flowers and is absorbed into the plant. It only effects critters that take a bite out of the plant not honey bees, butterflys or other common pollinators. Obviously it would be for ornamentals only. The only beneficial insect that it should effect would be leaf cutter bees and I haven't seen much evidence of their activity in my gardens. Its active ingredient is imidocloprid. An allied product for trees and shrubs is also effective, it rapidly kept the miserable buggers from devouring my climbing hydrangeas and andromedas. I prefer not to use contact insecticides for obvious reasons. Another advantage of the systemics is that they remain effective for at least a month. As far as I can see the beetles use most of the "green" sprays like garlic and the like for salad dressing. I may bite the financial bullet and put down milky spore to help with next years beetle infestation but with acres of neighbors' lawns and some corn fields in the area I don't give it much chance for success. As far as traps go I might buy some for a PITA neighbor but I would just as soon not attract the darn things to my garden area.

This message was edited Jul 16, 2008 7:27 AM

I was intrigued by your mention of systemics, linuxogre. I googled the active ingredient. The article I read dealt with trees and shrubs and said the first time of application it would only effect new growth. Would I have to treat in early spring before the new leaves form and again just prior to JB season beginning for it to be effective? Is there different standards for "Rose & Flower" and "Tree & Shrub" types?

Gary

I don't know about the rose & flower one, but I was just talking about the tree & shrub one with robcorreia on a different thread, and if you look at the label, what it says is that it "even moves into new growth after application, protecting it too". So it goes into any part of the plant that's there now, and then it will continue to work and go into new growth that forms after you apply it. Here's the pdf file of the label if you want to see it, the part about the new growth is a couple pages down, on what they've labeled page 4 http://www.bayeradvanced.com/media/productlabel/502802A_label.pdf

Thank you, ecrane3. That's exactly the info I was looking for.

Gary