#67528
July 18th, 2006 at 04:42 AM
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OP
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Joined: Jul 2005
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attack of the Japaneese Beetles! grrrr..everyday I pick them out of my roses, they have such a knack for hiding in between the petals and just munching away... any tried and true methods for making them bugger off? I try not to spray as it seems to shorten the life of my flowers and makes the petals die quicker (and I have cats, don't want to make them sick)
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#67529
July 18th, 2006 at 05:01 AM
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Official Problem Child
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Official Problem Child
Joined: Mar 2004
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I feel your pain!!! Trust me! I am going through the same thing, and no way I can spray anything to kill them, because I have a lot of honey bees that love my yard, not to mention there are baby praying mantis all over my dahlias. I'm going to try to find some Japanese Beetle traps today. I had some of those years ago, on my apple trees, and they seemed to help. Cindy
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#67531
July 18th, 2006 at 09:57 AM
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Joined: Mar 2006
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Are these the same (^&&^$##@@#'s???
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#67532
July 18th, 2006 at 02:57 PM
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Joined: Jul 2006
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I just posted this in another thread, I recently read a book called rose's love Garlic, it says to plant garlic gloves(but don't peel them) around your plants and it will keep the bugs away. I did this earlier in the year and it's been successful for me so far, just wait for the garlic to start sprouting. Hope this helps.
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#67533
July 19th, 2006 at 03:28 AM
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Joined: May 2006
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SpringFever:
Those sure do look like Japanese Beetles. They should have like an emerald green back on them (it's hard to see in the picture.)
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#67534
July 19th, 2006 at 04:09 AM
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Joined: Mar 2006
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I am having the same problem but with a different bug...pincher bugs/earwigs,whatever they are called. they seem to like one particular rose best, but I am noticing the petals on more and more have holes and when I cut the flower to bring inside, I see them fall out or crawling around. help
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#67535
July 19th, 2006 at 06:41 AM
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Joined: Sep 2005
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They have made their way to Ontario too, i have them on some of my plants!!! :p
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#67536
July 19th, 2006 at 07:28 AM
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Joined: May 2006
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Mrs. Bradley & Penny: A way I would suggest for getting rid of pincher bugs without pesticides is as follows: Put vegetable oil in a empty tuna can. Place the tuna can below your flowers. (Use as many as you feel fit) The idea is that the tuna can is shallow enough for the bugs to get at and the smell of the oil attracts them. Once inside the can the bugs will be lured towards the oil which will drown them. Let us know what you do! Sincerely, Shanbear
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#67537
July 19th, 2006 at 12:58 PM
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Joined: Mar 2006
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ty shanbear. I'll try that and letch know how it goes..=)
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#67538
July 20th, 2006 at 12:09 AM
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Joined: Sep 2005
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#67539
July 20th, 2006 at 12:16 AM
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Joined: May 2006
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I've noticed earwigs were particularly plentiful this year. I went o collect rose petals to make rose petal beads and I found like a gazillion earwigs. Good thing I spread my petals on the lawn to dry a biy or else I would've had earwig rose petal bugs! Imagine wearing them and feeling a pincer in one bead...
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#67540
July 20th, 2006 at 12:34 AM
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Joined: Aug 2005
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Ugh! Yup, just started for me too here in CT. They devour all of my echinacea flower petals! Makes them all look like hell every year!
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#67541
July 20th, 2006 at 04:37 AM
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Joined: May 2006
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You're welcome Mrs. Bradley & Penny! Pincher bugs are a common problem. The remedy mentioned above has worked in the past, I hope it works for you two... and anyone else having this problem.
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#67542
July 20th, 2006 at 04:39 AM
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Joined: May 2006
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John & Kenny: I would suggest the tuna can/ vegetable oil method. And John, you're poor echinacea flowers! Let us know what you two do...
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#67543
July 21st, 2006 at 09:35 PM
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Joined: Oct 2003
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They are really bad this year. Get a japanese beetle trap. I have a plastic model by Teece. The container is the size of a Qt. mayonaise jar. These traps really work but you need to read the directions. Usually you place the trap 25 feet or so AWAY from the area you want to protect. After the trap is half-3/4ths full I get a small bucket of hot soapy water and place the trap in for 30 minutes. Kills them all.
Milky spore is the ground treatment.
I have literally caught THOUSANDS so far this year. about 3 Qt. sized mayo jars FULL.
Tom
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#67544
July 21st, 2006 at 11:17 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
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WHOA on the traps! Here's from the web site that was suggested ( http://www.gardenandhearth.com/Gardening-Tips/Japanese-Beetles.htm): The presence of even one beetle can attract others since Japanese beetles can fly anywhere from 1-5 miles to look for food, mates, and a suitable place to lay eggs. This is why pheromone traps, which are sold at gardening shops as another means of getting rid of Japanese beetles, are more humorous than effective and can actually attract more beetles to your garden My local Farm Bureau shares this opinion. Yes, you will catch hundreds of them, but at the expense of drawing them in from the whole neighborhood. The article recommends applying Milky Spore, but it is extremely expensive (took about $600 to do our 1 1/2 acre lawn last year) and takes time to become effective. We seem to have fewer this year, but sorry, I'll admit I've sprayed my cherry trees, weeping pussy willow, Hollyhocks and birch (their dining preferences at my house). Would love to hear other "natural" recommendations, but think carefully about the traps, even if you place far away from your plants.
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#67545
July 21st, 2006 at 11:24 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
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Traps just attract more of them to your yard. The best way to control them is in the larvae stage as grubs with imidacloprid. Recent research has shown that using milky spore just doesn't get results.
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#67546
July 22nd, 2006 at 01:55 AM
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Joined: Aug 2005
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John - I believe you're correct. I think it was a CT university that has done a long-term study and the effectiveness of using Milky Spore is now being questioned. Wish I would have seen that BEFORE spending all the moolah! I certainly prefer chem-free, but the amount of damage from these creatures is awful.
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#67547
July 22nd, 2006 at 08:51 AM
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Joined: May 2006
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Sandy:
Why not try the oil/tuna can remedy listed on the other page. It's cheap so it couldn't hurt any to try...
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#67548
July 22nd, 2006 at 12:38 PM
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Joined: Apr 2006
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spring Fever - I'm pretty sure your picture is not of a japanese beetle. Japanese beetles are a metallic green. i don't know the name of the one you pictured, i've seen it though & i believe it's pretty common. Maybe if you do some research on the beetles in your area, you could identify it. My husband thinks they are just as damaging to plants as japanese beetles are (individual bug vs. individual bug) and they have the same life cycle (i.e. egg to grub to beetle). -mara
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#67549
July 22nd, 2006 at 12:50 PM
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Mr. Radio
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Mr. Radio
Joined: Sep 2003
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Here is a picture of the Japanese beetle http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/images/7664f02.jpg Milky Spore does work if you happen to have the perfect conditions, it is just unfortunate that most people do not have those conditions in their yards. Imidacloprid the chemical found in Merit is now available to homeowners in the same strength available to pesticide applicators, and it is the most reliable product on the market, as long as the direction on the label are followed. Make certain that it is watered in within 3 days of the application as it does break down quickly on the surface. Once applied *correctly* one application lasts the entire season. With the variety in climates in this forum, the best way to describe when it should be applied is as soon as the grass starts actively growing.
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#67550
July 22nd, 2006 at 03:53 PM
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Anonymous
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Anonymous
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eww yeah. they're back. i've seen a dozen or so on a few of my bushes over the past few days. i'm not putting a trap up this year. my neighbors put a couple up and they're a couple houses away, so i'll let their traps draw away from my plants
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#67551
July 24th, 2006 at 10:59 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
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Nice technique, Joclyn!
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#67552
July 25th, 2006 at 09:17 AM
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Joined: May 2006
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Good idea, Joclyn!
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