Japanese Beetle

[Eugene]

Major infestation of Japanese beetles this year.

Sprayed the blackberry bushes yesterday evening. This morning walked out and found the top portion of the apple tree denuded. Sprayed the apple tree.

Edit. Also sprayed the asparagus and strawberry patches.

Headed to the local farm and ranch store for some sort of crystal insecticide to kill grubs living in the soil.

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

I put out 2 Beetle Bagger traps a little ways from my green beans late Friday afternoon. As of 8:30 this morning I had bagged 5 1/2 gallons of Japanese Beetles.

[Eugene]

Checked the apple tree around 7 PM. The swarm has either moved on or been killed off.

Will spray the wife's flowers and the crab tree tomorrow.

Been reading the internet. Apparently there is a "bloom" of Japanese beetles this year in Missouri.

Week ago a friend asked if I had been hit by the beetles. Told him no. Apparently his orchard had been hard hit.

[Urbish]

They've been hitting my pear trees, sunflowers, and basil hard here in Michigan too. I captured 12# of them in two days using the bag traps. I need to go bigger scale though because the pear trees are still full of them.

[outdoors4evr]

The bag traps work well for collecting live beetles, but do not put the bag traps near their food sources (trees & shrubs). Hang the bag 30-50 feet away from their favorite plants to draw them away from your plants (not near your plants).
By far the best solution I have found is grub x. Apply to your yard early July (earlier in some climates) to kill the larva and eggs. Applying this year will improve the situation for next year. After 3-4 years, the beetles are down to a very manageable level.

[Don McCombs]

All good suggestions from outdoors4evr. Bear in mind that general spraying of fruit trees or other plants, while in bloom and after, can have an adverse effect on the honeybee population in your area.

[Eugene]

I'm using Malathion on my apple tree and blackberries. Blackberries are being harvested and apples will be ready for harvest in 4 to 6 weeks. Also use Sevin.

Malathion has a very low wait time between spraying and harvest. For blackberries it's 24 hours, I usually wait 48 hours before harvesting.

I know there are organic folks, more power to them. I use herbicide, insecticide, rat and mouse poison, to eliminate pests.

[SONNY]

ME TOO!!!!!!! LOL!!!! No chems.= no food!!!! thanks; sonny

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

Up to 6 1/2 gallons of beetles now. My main concern is keeping them away from my green beans, and I put a trap about 5 feet west of the beans about even with the ends of the rows. Since most of our breezes/winds come from the west that seems to work well for luring them away from the beans. I have been dumping them out of the trap bags into ziploc bags and pressing them down to reduce the air as much as possible then laying them out in the sun for a day or two before throwing the bags in the trash. They don't seem to be doing any moving at that point. My trash sure smells bad though, those slider ziplocs do not seal as well as the ads claim.

[Don McCombs]

For several years now, I have noticed bluebirds eating the Japanese Beetles. They are the only bird that I have seen do so. Not necessarily a total solution, but put up some bluebird nest boxes near your garden along with the bag traps next year. I would not use this technique in combination with spraying, though.

[alboe]

They came and went very fast this year in my area of Maryland. Also, remember when using those bag traps, you're using a lure to "ATTRACT" the beetles. So, that means more are coming to your area. The traps work great but are also a double edged sword..........

[outdoors4evr]

The instructions on the trap says one trap attracts beetles from up to 1/4 mile away. I assume this is generally the downwind direction. Probably best to put these things on the predominately upwind side of your property and let the scent attract them. Unfortunately as noted previously, the bag of dead bugs really smell terrible, so maybe you don't want this directly upwind from your house (or your wife's clothesline)

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

I am up to 11 1/2 gallons of beetles from 2 traps so far. However our beans are done and vines gone, and the beetles have slowed down. Probably be able to take the traps down soon.

[Eugene]

Where are you guys purchasing the Japanese beetle traps? Just getting ready for next summer.

[outdoors4evr]

Walmart, Ace Hardware, Home Depot, etc.
If you are a saavy bug catcher, you can dump the dead bugs into a ziplock or sealable bag (often) and reuse the bags.
Might be worth while to buy one of the traps (with the attractant scent) and several replaceable bags. The full bags of bugs will test your Esophageal Sphincter valve.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Spectracide- ... 3=&veh=sem