Japanese Beetles found on plants... what to do?

[micvog]

I have found about a dozen Japanese Beetles total on various plants throughout my yard. I am not too concerned about the plants... but what should I be doing for the lawn and the possibility of grubs?

Leaning towards Milky Spore... undecided between the granules or powder. Will either help with this year?

[andy10917]

Milky Spore can take three years to establish and is a poor curative solution. Also many other beetles contribute to grub problems - it's far from a Japanese Beetle issue.

[73Chall]

Interesting this is the "Cool Grasses" section but, what the hey!

Echoing Andy, most every "immediate" solution is pretty much worse than the beetles, from a "big picture" point of view.

Besides, in my experience ones time, effort (and $!) are better directed on preventative efforts:

1) DO NOT procrastinate applying / introducing Milky Disease Spores into your turf! Order from online with a company that obviously ships (and doesn't "sit" on their product). A neighbor bought his spores from a big box store and no telling of what he got was this year, last year or how long hat box had been sitting on the shelf. I say this as his results are nil which is directly contrary to my own and everyone else I know who ordered their spores online. Best o' Success!

2) Look into Merit or a similar systemic you can put around your shrubs (and across your turf if you have the $). Do research which plants at contraindicated as I learned the hard way that (apparently) spreading Merit around the base of butterfly bushes does (quite!) negatively impact blooms, all summer long. (I didn't put Merit anywhere near the b'fly bushes this year and they are back to stopping passerby!

3) Research (if you have not already) the life cycle of the Jap Beetles and their grubs, etc. (always nice (and economical) to apply Merit at the right time of spring, etc.

4) Look into which 'curative' grub killer chemical acts quickly and figure out when the beetles go to ground in your zone and start laying eggs. (It's too late to apply the other 'preventative' chemical most of us put down in June, and then takes several months het down deep enough so that, once those eggs hatch and those grubs start artcking turf root, "Wham, Bam, thank you ...!"

5) DON'T WAIT to get your spores (powder) and apply then

[TimmyG]

Disrupt their mating cycle: set up pheromone traps.
Re: Linden Tree and Japanese Beetles
Re: 2015 Grub Control and Timing

[micvog]

The Japanese Beetles are becoming more noticeable (or I am looking for them now) and this afternoon I saw a swarm of them over a section of the lawn (which, 2-years after seeding, is finally starting to look really nice).

Would appreciate feedback on the following approach:

- Put down the powder version of Milky Spore ASAP (it is a 1x app as opposed to the 3-year granule regimen); not sure if that will help this Fall/next Spring but theoretically would provide some long-term (10-20 years?) prevention
- Looking into nematodes - is there a particular vendor that is recommended?
- It is definitely too late for chlorantraniliprole, and maybe even for imidicloprid (?), so at this point all I can really do this year/early next is treat an outbreak of grubs with Dylox
- Current Japanese Beetle activity would most likely manifest itself with grubs next Spring, if at all
- Make a call next Spring if I want to do preventative apps of chlorantraniliprole which would be effective Fall of next year

@TimmyG - one of the concerns I read with the pheromone traps is that they attract Japanese Beetles from the neighborhood. Have you found this to be an issue?

Thanks everyone!

[TimmyG]

@TimmyG - one of the concerns I read with the pheromone traps is that they attract Japanese Beetles from the neighborhood. Have you found this to be an issue?

I find that they work beautifully. That's all that matters. The beetles from anywhere and everywhere are attracted to the traps, not your plants. Are they attracted from neighbors' yards? Lets hope so! The neighbors aren't putting out traps. I place a few traps at the extremes of my property, away from favored plants. Think about it: if you only target the beetles (or grubs) in your own yard, you will forever be battling pressure from your neighbors' populations. Target the neighborhood and you keep beetle pressure in check and should never have apply expensive grub treatments. It pains me to see the mad rush to apply pesticides each year when the pheromone traps are such an inexpensive, effective solution.

If Milky Spore were a miracle cure, don't you think you'd see more promotion of its use on this site?

[micvog]

Ok - picking up the traps at lunch!