Controlling JBs is largely a matter of bees. If you spray the plants, you endanger any bees that might visit them. So it depends on what plants you have that they like.

I use a spray of insecticidal soap, it only kills on direct contact.

I second the use of insecticidal soap. Just walk around your garden and when you see a beetle give it a squirt.

Rodney

If you only have a few beetles, you can kill them on their favorite plants.

If you have thousands of beetles, some discreetly placed traps can kill thousands of them. When you dispose of those dead beetles, don't dump them on soil. Larva will hatch out of the dead females.

In 2003 i trapped an estimated 270,000 beetles...about 90 bags full. I also killed them by the thousands on the wild grapes vines in the fence row by spraying them. I killed more on the soybeans in the rows bordering the grass roadside. In 2004 I also put down a small amount of Milky Spore in strategic places.

Last year I counted 5 beetles, The year before I counted 8, and so far this year, I have not seen any.

Glad you mentioned Milky Spore. It is a very effective control for them when applied at the proper time of year. Not to mention all the good done to the yard by eliminating the grubs. Eliminate the grubs and you eliminate the beetles.

Dave

I've been reading up on Milky spore and it seems I need to wait until the end of July? Does that sound right? Also, it says that it's for the lawn and I'm afraid I have the grubs in my garden bed? I haven't noticed anything in the lawn.

You'd have them in both places but primarily turf/lawn is where most eggs get laid. Just treat both places.

Dave

I went on a hunt for milky spore today. All I could find was the granules. No one around here seemed to carry the powder.

I'm assuming it will still get the job done?

How affective is it compared to the powder?

Here is a source.

Here is a link that might be useful: Milky Spore

Milky spore is great but takes a few years to spread throughout the yard.
I use traps, catch hundreds some years, thousands other years. They have a cycle. I also spray with soap but mainly trap.

I read that traps sometimes causes more to come to the yard?

Any insecticidal soap recommend the most for Japanese beetles? Im hesitant to be spraying things around my veggie garden, seems i have the worst luck in picking something that will ruin one/more than one of my plants.

Im putting milky spore down soon, but because that takes time to spread, I need something to help with now. When I have days off, i'm catching 50-60 now. Im just worried about when I have to work all day!

Newatthis22,
Sure, it can attract more into the yard but they will go to the trap. They are very effective at catching thousands of them. Mine is about quart sized and some years I can fill that 3-4 times in a season. So far this isn't a real bad year for them. Some years it's insane!

I believe in all the available methods to control JBs.
1. Hand picking
For a few, you hand pick and don't discard them on soil.

2. Trap crops......wild grape vines and four o'clocks. You can try to hand pick them off of the plants, but if there are a thousand, I would spray some Sevin. .....on the grapevines and not flowering plants.

3.Phreone traps. For large invasions these are very necessary. Forget the negative legends and place the traps away from your crops. It is important to trap early to get as many females as possible before they lay eggs. Again, don't dump the dead beetles on soil.

4. Milky Spore. This is a must if you are having big troubles.

5. In the country these buggers like to infest the outside rows of soybeans along grassy roadsides. You may need to think outside the box and treat beyond your borders...very important point....and you deal with this with God given wisdom.

This post was edited by wayne_5 on Fri, Jul 12, 13 at 15:06

I'm assuming it will still get the job done? How affective is it compared to the powder?

No reason why it wouldn't. It is the exact same thing only in a different form that is easier to spread.

Milky spore is great but takes a few years to spread throughout the yard.

True but that doesn't mean there isn't an immediate effect in reducing the population the following year. If it can have documented effects on a golf course it sure can cope with the average yard or garden.

i'm catching 50-60 now

How much actual plant damage are you seeing? Large number of the beetles doesn't automatically mean large amounts of plant damage so you have to balance the damage being done with the possible damage done by spraying something.

Pick up some of the $6-7 traps to hang to cope with those days you can't hand pick them and keep picking when you can. Sure it might attract a few more but given the numbers you already have that won't make much difference in the long run.

Only other alternative is to bring out the big chemical guns.

Dave

I am not seeing that much damage at the moment, the only real reason I am concerned about them as much as I am is because I want to avoid as many grubs as possible.

I am using the milky spore stuff now. I read that Neem Oil can help control as well, so I'll probably put some neem oil on my plants because I have used it previously and use the milky spore as well.

I don't mind picking them off that much, just seems never ending!

Really hoping for not having it worse next year! lol

because I want to avoid as many grubs as possible.

That's putting the cart before the horse. :)

The focus should be the plants that exist right now, not grubs that may or may not exist in the future. Need a shift in priorities.

The beetles haven't even laid their eggs in the soil yet. So let the Milky Spore and the winter and the birds and all the other natural controls worry about them.

If the plants aren't being damaged then there is no need to risk treating them is there? And yes, even Neem oil has associated risks to both the plants and to garden beneficials. But it sure isn't going to have any effect on the grubs that don't even exist yet.

Dave

I have been using kaolin clay (brand name Surround WP)
for several years. It is nontoxic clay particles that you mix with water and spray on the plants. The water evaporates leaving a mechanical clay layer that irritates the beetles. Its not 100% effective, but it has saved my fruit trees. There is a Penn state study regarding its effectiveness on the web.

The best way to get rid of these Japanese beetles is to use any chemically remove grubs by applying insecticides, or you can remove manually from your plants and kill them.

TermiteRescue

This post was edited by ZaraMorant on Wed, Oct 30, 13 at 9:13