Don’t worry I’m not cussing any real person, JB as in Japanese Beetle. This year we have been raging a war (literally) on these annoying beetles that have been feasting on our knockout roses. You know, knockout roses are generally disease resistant and are very easy to maintain. That was the case last year but this spring after a round of very showy flowers the beetle menace started.
If you haven’t been graced by the presence of these unwanted guests, this is what I’m talking about.
There are swarms of them on every bud and most of the leaves. The adults feed on the buds first then attack the leaf eating up most of it leaving it looking like a skeleton.
We sprayed the pesticide Ortho Rose & Flower Insect Killer (the right one in the below pic) for the first time 6 weeks ago and the problem seemed to go. The new growth (pic on the left above) was trouble free.
Just as the buds on the new growth were starting to bloom, two days ago, they stuck again! This time B bought the Bayer Natria but we didn’t realize that it does not work on Japanese Beetles. Naturally it didn’t work even after a thorough spraying (the first two pics).
Some research online revealed that we should be on the watch out not just this season with repeated sprays (their average life span is 30-45 days) but also the next few years. It seems the females burrow 2-3 inches into the soil and lay eggs, which spend the next 10 months in the soil as white grubs while they grow feeding on grass roots. In spring they move up the root zone followed by a feeding period of 4-6 weeks after which they pupate and emerge as adults.
Armed with this info we decided to step up our game and went with another spraying of Ortho Rose & Flower Insect Killer followed by an application of Bayer 12 month Tree and Shrub Protect & Feed.
This seems to be a very strong fertilizer and comes with strict warnings not to use it on any plants that will bear edible fruit/veggies. It is a fertilizer cum insecticide that is supposed to work for 12 months. Comes as a green liquid which you dilute and pour near the root.
Keeping our fingers crossed. Hopefully we can get rid of this menace before they do severe damage to our lawn (the grubs thrive in a well watered good lawn eating away the roots).
Do you have a JB problem too (I think it is mainly an East Coast issue)? What do you do to keep them at bay?
Update: The Ortho Rose & Flower Insect Killer in combination with the Bayer 12 month Tree and Shrub Protect & Feed seems to have done the trick! Yay!
We have less because of putting down grub-ex. It keeps the food source down for the moles that put us through heck. I have found some on my tea roses and I am sure they will eat heartily again this year on crepe myrtles. Last year I sprinkled seven dust to kill them and it washes off with rain, although the spray works well too. I remember when we were young mom had us go out with oil in a can to push them off into so they wouldn’t eat up the grapevines, mom had to protect her grapes because she loved to make homemade wine. Your beetles are plentiful for sure, it makes one really angry I know.
Betsy
It seems the lawn guys do put down the grub-ex. So most likely these are from our neighbor’s traps. I’ve heard that they do more harm than good by attracting swarms of these pests.
V
These systemic insecticides are killing the honeybees. I don’t know how you feel about that, but I thought you might be interested.
I am a master gardener, and the beneficial insects are being killed too. Plant 4 o’clocks in an unused area of your yard, that is a trap crop. Hand pick the beetles in the morning, drop in soapy water. Remove the roses and replace with plants that are less desirable to the beetles. Contact your county extension office for information. Please save the honey bees and other beneficial insects. Do you really want something that kills for 12 months in your soil?
we always had a glass jar w/a little gas/terpintine in it and we went around all summer knocking the bugs off into the jar using the lid. No chemicals on the plants, we didn’t win every battle. I think at the end of summer we just kept the lid of the jar so the gas dissipated. jar did get a little smelly during summer…
Last year I made some traps of banana and Dawn dish soap in milk jugs and set them among the plants. Gross but kinda effective and every dead Japanese Beetle is a good thing. Also Milky Spore Disease is effective. It is a naturally occurring nematode that you spread on your lawn to kill the JB grubs. Can be purchased at most garden stores.
If you don’t want to use harsh chemicals dawn dish soap and water work as well. Mix equal parts and spray on the beetles. It works really well. It is what my dad used…we had over 500 rose bushes in our yard 🙂
At first I use dish soap with garlic and water as my insecticidal soap to spray to these pest but they just fly away. I changed the recipe of my insecticidal spray. I add chili powder, crushed garlic and some oil. When I spray it to the Japanese Beetles they can’t fly anymore and it’s easy for me to pick them and crushed them in my fingers. I need to check my plants at least 3 times a day. They love crape myrtle very much.
I’ve heard good things about “Bag-a-Bug” for Japanese Beatles. No poison, no sprays. It’s just a bag that releases their pheromones and then traps them/kills them when they enter the bag. We have a huge problem with them in Michigan. I haven’t tried it this year as they are starting to lighten up, but I will next year for sure.
My neighbor used it. He keeps it at a few feet away from his back yard fence, close to ours. I think all it has done is increased the # of beetles on our side. 🙁