The Invasion has Begun!

[aintdedyet]

Japanese beetles … one of the challenges of growing in my neck of the woods. Apparently a pest to over 300 species in North America.
Every year they total my apple trees. Waiting for them to attack the sugar peas. I’ve tried traps and sprays but the little buggers just won’t leave me alone. Thank goodness they don’t bite … got enuf skitters, black flies, and ticks to bite me!
Anyhoo, they don’t seem to like to eat either my tomatoes or my Georgia mint … all they do is sit in the sun and have orgies … torn between hatred and envy!
Thought it an interesting similarity between tomatoes and cannabis … preference for slightly acidic conditions, amenable to LST and pruning, and an internal defence against the dreaded Japanese beetle!
To my fellow gardeners/growers:

how the hell do you deal with these buggers?

Thanks for looking … despite the invasion, she aintdedyet!

[Pyrokill]

I feel bad after I do it but I flick them as hard as I can. If you have a big problem and want to take my idea you may need to get one of those big foam #1 foam finger hands...... We get the standard brown and green ones and what I call the fake ones, all tan/ orangeish in Ohio. When the numbers are up there they can wipe out anything in their paths. You get double points for flicking the ones that are mating btw....

[Rwise]

Adult beetles are best physically remove them from your plants with a gloved hand, but don't squish them! Squished bugs emit pheromones, which end up attracting more beetles…Take the captured beetles and toss them in a bucket of soapy water.

Spray Neem oil if early: Deter feeding by adult beetles by spraying plants with Neem oil, which contains potassium bicarbonate. Adult beetles ingest a chemical in the neem oil and pass it on to their eggs, and the resulting larvae die before they become adults.

Just dont spray your flowers with it

Catnip, garlic, and chives are all known to repel Japanese beetles. Geraniums are especially helpful in combating Japanese beetles. The bright flower petals are toxic to the beetles, and they'll be paralyzed for 24 hours after eating them. This will make it easy to gather them up.
Companion planting: Incorporate plants that repel Japanese beetles such as catnip, chives, garlic, odorless marigold, nasturtium, white geranium, rue, or tansy near susceptible plants to help keep the beetles away.
Another method that helps prevent beetle damage is filling a spray bottle with a mixture of soapy water, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder.

Mix 4 tablespoons of dish soap with a quart of water inside a spray bottle. This simple solution makes for a great, all natural Japanese Beetle pesticide. Spray on any beetles you see on or around your lawn & garden.

Bacillus thuringiensis galleriae (Bt galleriae) is moderately effective on adult Japanese beetles and can be applied on the foliage of small-sized landscape plants and vegetable crops. This bacterial insecticide doesn't affect pollinators.

A simple solution of a squirt or two of dish washing soap and water provides an effective trap for Japanese beetles. The smell of dead Japanese beetles acts as a repellent to other Japanese beetles. Let containers of dead beetles (the ones you hand-pick or collect in traps) sit near desirable plants.

http://www.oisat.org/control_methods/natural_enemies/parasitoids/tiphia_wasp.html

A few things that may help. I would not spray your flowers with anything!

[Gingerbeard]

Shaking the plant will knock off more than picking. You can underline your plant with newspaper or plastic or some such other to catch what falls, then spray them or get rid of the underliner and treat the ground. Works best on a hard surface.
I can't see if you are in the ground or in a pot. Removing your potted pot to another area, say, over water will catch what shakes off as well.
If you really want to go nuts, get some industrial fans on them and make like you are in a tent. Blow the fornicating Jap bastards into the neighbors yard and yell, 'Bonsai!' Waving of a ninja sword is optional. Go with the moment. Go with the moment and your local ninja sword waving ordinances.

[aintdedyet]

Thanks for the tips. No sprays, too far along into flower, so for now just shaking and flicking, although they tend just to fly away. Hopefully they continue to di

[bdeegan]

A long term solution to Japanese beetles is to get rid of the grubs (their larva). I have successfully used a product called milky spore by st Gabriel’s organics. There is a unique way to apply it, not hard, and it is good for like 10-15 years but takes 1-2 to fully work. I moved from the property that I applied it to and have not done it to the new spot yet. The beetles are tearing up our fruit trees so I am looking to use this product again soon. Best of luck!

[aintdedyet]

Just a big thanks for all your suggestions. You folks are a hoot … wife and I had a couple of morning chuckles with our morning wake n’ bake.
I response:
finger flick remains my #1tactic … hopeless, but satisfying nonetheless.
industrial fans? Got a fan in the greenhouse but anything strong enuf to blow those bastards away is gonna give my Georgia mint a severe case of windburn! Plus there’s the whole cost of hydro thing

nothing in the by-laws about swords… tried those electric tennis rackets … nada … not a spark …I make my own rocket propellant and black powder, so some options remain

I appreciate tacking any problem at its source; ie the grubby little bastards. Unfortunately I am surrounded by about a billion acres of hay and soybeans … I suspect there are more grubs in one acre than I could ever handle.

They made a surprise attack at dawn yesterday … came in outta the rising sun so couldn’t see the bastards. Went for the broccoli this time. Sprayed with Doctor Doom horticultural oil ( canola and a little surfactant). Not in flower and I figure any broccoli I get I’ll just cook up in some more canola. Seems to be working for now.

They continue not to eat my tomatoes or Georgia mint, and the orgies continue. For now I shall continue with the occasional flick session. The stick support structure is really good to vibrate … removes the morning dew and shakes off the bugs. Another Newbie Mcgyverism… novel application of vibrator as cannabis growing aid?


Will post pics on my 6th attempt thread as she progresses

thanks again