The Plant Man column
for publication week of 07/09/06 - 07/15/06
(713 words)
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If you are having problems with certain kinds of beetles who are
uninvited guests in your landscape, you'll want to read these two
recent e-mails from readers.

QUESTION: "I am hoping that you may be able to help me with a problem
I am seeing this year with my lily plants. I have many lilies around
my home in New England of different varieties. Many of these are being
eaten by what I believe is a Lily Leaf Beetle. Is there anything that I
can do to prevent these little pests from doing further damage to my
plants? I have heard that Bayer Rose and Flower spray can help with
this problem." - Lynn

ANSWER: Yes, the Bayer rose spray would work but you may want to try an
organic remedy. I have a friend who sprayed his plants with a sugar
water mixture (spray bottle with water and enough sugar added that will
dissolve and stay in solution.) The beetles will eat the sugar but
cannot digest it. After gorging themselves they will fly off to die.
Just a thought that may work.

From one type of beetle to another. Recently, I received the following


e-mail with a comment about an answer I'd given in a previous Plant
Man column.

"Just wanted to comment on your reply to the question regarding
Japanese beetles attacking linden trees. Your suggestion to use the
peaches in a milk jug is very similar to other Japanese Beetle traps
(Bag-a-bug) which use pheromones to lure the beetles. However, these
traps do more harm than good in my opinion unless you place them far,
far away from the plants they're intended to protect. They lure more
than they catch.

"The best approach is to apply Milky Spore to turf grass in the
surrounding areas where the beetle grubs reside. As the grubs are
infected, they decompose and release billions of new spores which
eventually results in long term control of the Japanese beetle problem.
Our community is currently implementing a plan to treat all common
areas and encourage all residents to treat their yards. In the interim,
there are various insecticides if you're not opposed to chemicals (such
as Bayer Advanced) that can be watered into the soil at the base of the
tree and once absorbed move up through the tree to provide protection
against Japanese beetles." - Jasmine Jensen

ANSWER: Thank you for your suggestion, Jasmine. I'd like to learn
more about what your community is doing in this regard. For readers
who are not familiar with Milky Spore, you can find some very useful
information online at a Web site hosted by the USDA titled "Managing
the Japanese Beetle." The address is
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/h...e/jbeetle.html
but the easiest way to get there is to find this column at my Web site
www.landsteward.org and you can click on a direct link.

According to the USDA site, Milky Spore is the common name for spores
of the bacterium Bacillus popillae. This bacterium was first registered
for use on turf in suppression of the Japanese beetle grub in the
United States in 1948.
Upon ingestion, these spores germinate in the grub's gut, infect the
gut cells, and enter the blood, where they multiply. The buildup of the
spores in the blood causes the grub to take on a characteristic milky
appearance.
Milky spore disease builds up in turf slowly (over 2-4 years) as grubs
ingest the spores, become infected, and die, each releasing 1-2 billion
spores back into the soil. Milky spore disease can suppress the
development of large beetle populations.

As Jasmine has discovered, it works best when applied in community-wide
treatment programs. If you think you have a Japanese beetle problem,
you'll find an enormous amount of information at the USDA site I
mentioned. They have also included a list of "best" and
"worst" plants to have in your yard if Japanese beetles are a
matter of concern. Check with your extension agent regarding the
availability of Milky Spore material.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send questions about trees, shrubs and
landscaping to . For resources and additional
information, or to subscribe to Steve's free weekly e-mailed
newsletter, go to www.landsteward.org

Mmm... sugar water to kill beetles... why would they eat the sugar
anyway? If they're leaf eaters, I guess you're trying to have them
accidently eat it?

Plus, what about the ants? Big-headed ants, thief ants and little
black ants may be attracted to the area. Possibly even fire ants,
though they prefer protien and greases.

Kinda' like frying pan into the fire...