Re: Japanese Beetles

In a message dated 8/10/00 12:31:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time, mtalt@clark.net 
writes:

<< Hmmmm....I don't think I actually saw one this year.

I haven't kept records, Marge, but my impression is that the Japanese beetles 
emerged very late this year--at the end of the daylily season.  Perhaps they 
came at their normal time but everything bloomed early, though.  I hope you 
have lost them and they're not simply delayed.  

Usually have
 only a very few who concentrate on my Rosa glauca for some reason.  I
 don't use pesticides (other than a little Safer's on rare occasions)
 and am separated from surrounding properties by woodlands and have
 very little "lawn". 

===>In my gardens, they seem to change their tastes from year to year.  For a 
couple of years they used to sit in the asparagus foliage--I dopn't think 
they were actually feeding there, but trying to attract each other for, well, 
you know...  Another year they nearly decimated the dawn redwood, but have 
never returned to it.  This year, for the first time, they're chewing away on 
the big flowers of the hardy hibiscus, but seem to prefer the white flowers 
to the red ones.  Go figure.

Have always assumed this, and the very active
 bird and mole populations, accounted for my not having many of these
 pests.  Those I do have get squashed and left as notice for others of
 their tribe of what will happen to them if they are seen:-) Maybe
 they've spread the word? >>

===>I like to think the moles are eating their grubs.  Those moles ought to 
be good for something because I sure can't get rid of them.  But I still 
maintain that the way to decrease the Japanese beetle population is to keep 
after them.  I keep jars of water around to tap them into and if the jar 
isn't handy I too will squash and leave them.  It takes a little while to get 
over the squeamishness but once you do it can even be satisfying.  I too live 
in the middle of the woods so at least am not getting JBs from neighbors.

Bill Lee

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PERENNIALS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index