Can I save my apple trees from Japanese Beetles

[Tom]

Hi.

I've had two Granny Smith Apple trees for three years and they've
survived yearly bouts with Japanese beetles with only minor damage.
This year they are ten times worse than in previous yers, and I'm
worried I'm going to lose the trees. What can I do to dissuade the
Beetles w/o toxifying the fruit?

I've heard of using Milky Spore, but will that work in time to have an
affect this season?

Thanks,

T. Young

P.S. Please don't reply to email . It's no good anymore.

[Susan H. Simko]

Tom wrote:
> Hi.
>
> I've had two Granny Smith Apple trees for three years and they've
> survived yearly bouts with Japanese beetles with only minor damage.
> This year they are ten times worse than in previous yers, and I'm
> worried I'm going to lose the trees. What can I do to dissuade the
> Beetles w/o toxifying the fruit?

Don't know but would love to hear some options aside for Sevin...

> I've heard of using Milky Spore, but will that work in time to have an
> affect this season?

No, it won't help this year. However, that should not stop you from
doing it. My understanding is that it takes a couple fo years to reach
optimum. I put some down last year and have seen a marked decrease in
japanese bettles this year. In fact, I've been curious about other
people's experiences because without that, there's no way of knowing if
it's simply a low JB year or the Milky Spore.

BTW, if you're using those bag-a-bug traps, get rid of them. The
research I did on them some time ago seems to point towards the fact
that they actually attract more JBs to your garden than they kill.

Susan
shsimko at duke dot edu

[wdukes@fw.private.neotoma.org]

In article >, Susan H. Simko wrote:
> Tom wrote:
>> Hi.
>>
>> I've had two Granny Smith Apple trees for three years and they've
>> survived yearly bouts with Japanese beetles with only minor damage.
>> This year they are ten times worse than in previous yers, and I'm
>> worried I'm going to lose the trees. What can I do to dissuade the
>> Beetles w/o toxifying the fruit?
>
> Don't know but would love to hear some options aside for Sevin...
>
>> I've heard of using Milky Spore, but will that work in time to have an
>> affect this season?
>
> No, it won't help this year. However, that should not stop you from
> doing it. My understanding is that it takes a couple fo years to reach
> optimum. I put some down last year and have seen a marked decrease in
> japanese bettles this year. In fact, I've been curious about other
> people's experiences because without that, there's no way of knowing if
> it's simply a low JB year or the Milky Spore.
>
> BTW, if you're using those bag-a-bug traps, get rid of them. The
> research I did on them some time ago seems to point towards the fact
> that they actually attract more JBs to your garden than they kill.
>
> Susan
> shsimko at duke dot edu
>

Milky spore will only work on the grubs and probably not until next
year. Nothin wrong with Sevin though. About the safest you can use.

--
Wes Dukes (wdukes.pobox@com) Swap the . and the @ to email me please.

is a garbage address.

[Kira Dirlik]

On Wed, 02 Jul 2003 21:05:17 GMT, wrote:

>> Tom wrote:
>>> Hi.
>>>
>>> I've had two Granny Smith Apple trees for three years and they've
>>> survived yearly bouts with Japanese beetles with only minor damage.
>>> This year they are ten times worse than in previous years .......

>Milky spore will only work on the grubs and probably not until next
>year. Nothin wrong with Sevin though. About the safest you can use.
>
>Wes Dukes (wdukes.pobox@com) Swap the . and the @ to email me please.

For Japanese Beetles, I just go around with my trusty plastic
container of water plus a few drops of dish washing liquid to the
plants that seem to attract them, and urge them into it. I do this at
least once a day. (Over the years I have seen a big decrease in
numbers of the JBs AND their grub stage in my garden soil.)
A neighbor who raises bees posted to our neighborhood Yahoo group
asking us to please not use Sevin dust. The bees go to the plants,
collect the dust just like pollen, take it back to the hive and the
whole colony gets wiped out. I've been trying to hand-pick the flea
beetles off my eggplants, peppers, squash and potatoes, but they are a
lot more astute (and tiny) than the JB's. It isn't working.
Such dilemas. Such chain reactions to things.
Kira

[Kira Dirlik]

On Wed, 02 Jul 2003 21:05:17 GMT, wrote:

>> Tom wrote:
>>> Hi.
>>>
>>> I've had two Granny Smith Apple trees for three years and they've
>>> survived yearly bouts with Japanese beetles with only minor damage.
>>> This year they are ten times worse than in previous years .......

>Milky spore will only work on the grubs and probably not until next
>year. Nothin wrong with Sevin though. About the safest you can use.
>
>Wes Dukes (wdukes.pobox@com) Swap the . and the @ to email me please.

For Japanese Beetles, I just go around with my trusty plastic
container of water plus a few drops of dish washing liquid to the
plants that seem to attract them, and urge them into it. I do this at
least once a day. (Over the years I have seen a big decrease in
numbers of the JBs AND their grub stage in my garden soil.)
A neighbor who raises bees posted to our neighborhood Yahoo group
asking us to please not use Sevin dust. The bees go to the plants,
collect the dust just like pollen, take it back to the hive and the
whole colony gets wiped out. I've been trying to hand-pick the flea
beetles off my eggplants, peppers, squash and potatoes, but they are a
lot more astute (and tiny) than the JB's. It isn't working.
Such dilemas. Such chain reactions to things.
Kira

[Kira Dirlik]

On Wed, 02 Jul 2003 21:05:17 GMT, wrote:

>> Tom wrote:
>>> Hi.
>>>
>>> I've had two Granny Smith Apple trees for three years and they've
>>> survived yearly bouts with Japanese beetles with only minor damage.
>>> This year they are ten times worse than in previous years .......

>Milky spore will only work on the grubs and probably not until next
>year. Nothin wrong with Sevin though. About the safest you can use.
>
>Wes Dukes (wdukes.pobox@com) Swap the . and the @ to email me please.

For Japanese Beetles, I just go around with my trusty plastic
container of water plus a few drops of dish washing liquid to the
plants that seem to attract them, and urge them into it. I do this at
least once a day. (Over the years I have seen a big decrease in
numbers of the JBs AND their grub stage in my garden soil.)
A neighbor who raises bees posted to our neighborhood Yahoo group
asking us to please not use Sevin dust. The bees go to the plants,
collect the dust just like pollen, take it back to the hive and the
whole colony gets wiped out. I've been trying to hand-pick the flea
beetles off my eggplants, peppers, squash and potatoes, but they are a
lot more astute (and tiny) than the JB's. It isn't working.
Such dilemas. Such chain reactions to things.
Kira