Re: Re:Japanese Beetles
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: Re:Japanese Beetles
- From: C* B* <C*@worldnet.att.net>
- Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 06:23:54 -0700 (MST)
At 05:44 PM 2/13/97 +0000, Keith wrote (quoting Clarence):
>> One idea that I discovered by accident for keeping Japanese beetles at a
>> minimal level on roses, grapes, etc. is to plant four o'clocks. The
>beetles
>> will descend on the four o'clocks in a great swarm and neglect other
>plants.
>> You can then go out and pick off the beetles by the handful. But plant
>the
>> four o'clocks away from the plants you want to keep the beetles away
>from.
>> Clarence Mahan in VA
>
>Interesting. The Pinetree Garden Seeds catalog has this to say about four
>o'clocks:
>
>"Mirabilis-Marvel of Peru [aka Four O'Clocks]
>Japanese beetles don't consider this pretty plant so marvelous; when the
>dine on it they die...."
>
This sound too good to be true, and Clarence "hand-picked them off", so
I suspect that it isn't (true) - has anyone else had experience with
the death-dealing Mirabilis?
Carol Blais - CBLAIS@worldnet.att.net
Western Mass., where we are celebrating St. Valentine with
a snow/sleet storm.
