Re: New to Perennial list. About Me

In a message dated 98-05-01 19:50:28 EDT, you write:

<< Does anyone know the best way to control Japanese Beattles? Last year they
 destroyed many of my flowers, not to mention the small blueberry bush I
 have. I use a bag type trap and I know you can use chemicals on the lawn to
 kill the actual grubs but I have 2 black labs and 2 cats, plus many other
 wild animals so I would rather not use those chemicals (except as a last
 resort). Any suggestions would be appreciated. >>

Dear Debbie,
Imagine that there is one plant that Japanese beetles like to eat more than
any other plant and that they can find it even if they''re miles away.  Now
ask yourself it you would want to buy this plant and plant it in the middle of
your yard to make sure all the Japanese beetles in your county came to your
yard.  I didn't think so.  Get rid of the bag trap--it's doing exactly the
same thing.

I hand pick the beetles several times a day.  I keep jars half-filled with
water with screw on lids (mayonnaise jars, for example) in several spots in
the beds and just tap the beetles into the jar.  They soon drown.  You will
also learn from doing this what plants attract them the most, although it
sometimes varies from year to year.  Of course check out any rose blossoms, a
favorite.  If you have any tall grasses, they may sit in the tops of the
grasses and some years they are all over my asparagus leaves (other years
not)--I don't think they eat it but like to sit their searching for mates I
think.  Some years they also congregate on the leaves of the sassafras tree
and they can do a lot of damage to my Dawn redwood.  After a week or two of
vigilance I usually ahve them pretty much under control.

As for chemicals, I think most experts recommend the use of milky spore which
kills the grubs underground.  However, I have too large an expanse of land to
use this kind of treatment, but I don't think it does any harm to children or
pets--perhaps someone with experience in using it can verify this.

Bill Lee
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