Billy wrote in
:

In article
,
Pat Kiewicz wrote:

Zootal said:


I'm going to keep a close eye on them for the next few days and see
if I can spot anything eating them.

I suggest a night-time foray with a flashlight. My guesses would be
that your pest is the invasive Asiatic garden beetle. They have only
recently reached the midwest. They feed at night and hide during the
day.

http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/cap...cGardenbtl.htm

Presuming Pat is right, you ,ay want to look at
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/ipm/greenhs/htms/ghsebeetles.htm
The "Integrated Pest MAnagement" approach would have you try the
spring Tiphia wasp, and beneficial nematodes (Heterorhabditis sp.)
first. To avoid killing off beneficial insects.

http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/biocontrol/j_beetle.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2618435/

You don't want to swat fleas with a sledgehammer.

What's the time lag on introducing those biological controls?

Also, not that biological controls introduced into places where they are
not native can have disastrous side-effects. One need only look at Cane
Toads in Australia for a demonstration.

I admit I have not yet read the cites you provided. I am, however,
impressed they come from Ohio State and the NIH. They certainly are going
to contain worthwhile, pertinent info.

If it's going to take months or a year for the bio controls to get up and
running, do you have any suggestions for saving the plants he's got
growing _right now_? That would be cool and informative.

Chris