Japanese Beetles

[Snag]

Were eating my beans up pretty badly , but I'm somewhat controlling their numbers now . I sprayed the plants - blue lake pole beans - before they flowered with some fruit tree spray (checked with my Plant Guru first , she said it was OK) that has permethrin and neem oil and that worked fairly well . Once they flower I can't use pesticides because of the bees , so I'm drowning the bugs in soapy water . What I'm doing is holding a gallon size ice cream container with an inch or so of soapy water in it under the leaf they're on . I touch or shake the leaf , they land in the soapy water and drown . Early in the morning is a good time as is late afternoon/early evening - but you can find them just about any time of day . I'm not preventing all the damage , but I'm reducing it enough that it's not a big deal . And this year the beans are loaded loaded with blossoms and teeny tiny beans . I am optimistic ... Also , the tomatoes are doing very well , loaded with fruit and blossoming like crazy . We've started picking cucumbers and a few peppers (California Wonder red/green and Anaheims) and the bees are doing very well , putting up lots of honey . Everything seems to be going well this year - I think it's partly because I'm spending more time out there and partly due to fertilizing with generous quantities of rabbit droppings ...

[Pavel314]

Several years ago the Japanese beetles were eating up my grape plants. I got some traps that attracted them then trapped them in a disposable bag. These are still available at Amazon, Home Depot, etc.

[Ralph Mowery]

I am in the middle of North Carolina. All I put out is some tomatoes, squash,and cucumbers. Sofar nothing on them.

I have not seen any of the Jap beetles or even the June Bugs around here. Not sure where all the June bugs got to. I grew up in a small city of around 20,000 and there were always plenty of the June bugs there. I did see a lot of the Jap beetles at my daughters new house about 3 years ago on the bushes next to her house. They do not raise any garden.

I have gotten 2 tomatoes, 4 cukes, and a bunch of squash. The tomato plants are full but about a week or two too soon for picking.

I usuall have bad luck with the tomatoes, but moved the plot to where they could get more sun this year. Sofar they are all looking good. There are about 20 plants of several differnt kinds and some were planted eairly and more about a month later, and I now have some that will be ready to transplant in a few weeks.

[songbird]

if you put the JBs in soapy water they will drown but you will be surprised by how long that can take. longer than an hour or two. they must go into some hibernation state.

i was taking them and throwing them at the end of the driveway for the birds to eat. after a while they would start crawling away.

i haven't seen any yet this year but they will be around. i greatly reduced the number of how many are around by getting rid of the wild grape vines. i see some vines are starting up again so i'll have to get back there again and cut it back. always fun on a slope.

it's been so hot here i'm not sure how many fruits are setting yet, but i do see some and plenty of blooms. lack of rain keeps me watering every two or three days. the beans are not doing all that great but they'll perk up once we get a few good rains.

i'm starting to see some flowers here or there.

songbird

[Snag]

I usually let those beetles stay in the water overnight , I'm kinda tracking daily numbers . We got 3/4" of rain this afternoon ... one of my Roma plants currently has 16 tomatoes on it , from bean-sized up to some pretty big ones , but nothing ripening yet . We've got a lot of wild grapes here too , but it would be nearly impossible - and definitely impractical - to get rid of them all . Those black beans only germinated about 7 or 8 seeds , and I didn't water them quite when they needed it so only 4 plants survived . Seed for another try !

[T]

Hi Snag,

Anaheims? Love Anaheims? Do you fertilize them much? I just put fertilizer at the bottom of the hole when I transplant them.

-T

[Frank]

I did this years ago and would point out my mistake of putting the traps near the grapes as the beetles congregated there. Trap should be placed away for the crop.

Funny how they are no longer pests here. I think the treatment bacillus thuringiensis has taken control in the neighborhood.

Suggest Snag look into this.

[Frank]

We have a few tomatoes coming in around the house and I planted a few at a neighbors house across the valley along with beans, carrots, squash and melons. My neighbor is stuck in India with the virus problems. Cannot get back until August 1. We have been watching their house. Went over the other day and deer had eaten everything. I still may get some of his peaches before he returns.