We are growing several things in pots on the deck this year.
Everything is doing very well (tomatoes, various peppers, and one pot
of basil). Within the last week, the basil has become covered with
Japanese beetles. Just the basil, nothing else.

I remember something called Bag-A-Bug that my parents used years ago,
and it seemed to work pretty well. But I can't find it anywhere.

What can I use to get rid of these nasty beasts?

You should have had pots of 4 O'Clocks growing next to and around it, those are
Deadly to JB's.


--
"In this universe the night was falling,the shadows were lengthening
towards an east that would not know another dawn.
But elsewhere the stars were still young and the light of morning
lingered: and along the path he once had followed, man would one day go
again."

Arthur C. Clarke, The City & The Stars

SIAR
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wrote in message
...
We are growing several things in pots on the deck this year.
Everything is doing very well (tomatoes, various peppers, and one pot
of basil). Within the last week, the basil has become covered with
Japanese beetles. Just the basil, nothing else.

I remember something called Bag-A-Bug that my parents used years ago,
and it seemed to work pretty well. But I can't find it anywhere.

What can I use to get rid of these nasty beasts?


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wrote in message
...
We are growing several things in pots on the deck this year.
Everything is doing very well (tomatoes, various peppers, and one pot
of basil). Within the last week, the basil has become covered with
Japanese beetles. Just the basil, nothing else.

I remember something called Bag-A-Bug that my parents used years ago,
and it seemed to work pretty well. But I can't find it anywhere.

What can I use to get rid of these nasty beasts?

Probably the easiest thing to do with potted basil is to use a physical
barrier. Use something called Remay, which is a lightweight white spun
polyester. Just put some stakes in or a tomato cage and drape this fabric
over it. Make sure you seal it towards the bottom with bent hangers in the
shape of big staples or some stones. This stuff is often used to keep out
cucumber beetles and I'm not sure whether Japanese beetles can eat thru this
stuff or not. When you need some basil just open a section, pince off some
leaves and close it back up.

-al sung
Rapid Realm Technology, Inc.
Hopkinton, MA
(Zone 6a)

Alan Sung wrote:

wrote in message
...
...I remember something called Bag-A-Bug that my parents used years ago,
and it seemed to work pretty well. But I can't find it anywhere.

What can I use to get rid of these nasty beasts?

Probably the easiest thing to do with potted basil is to use a physical
barrier. Use something called Remay, which is a lightweight white spun
polyester....




Remay is useful, but it is not available in all garden centers, so you
might have to make do with something like cheesecloth, which might be
found in a supermarket (although there are fewer people these days who
use such things). Maybe an old gauze curtain. Plastic window screening
is flexible enough to make a cage around a plant, but it's more work
than draping a cloth over it.

Since there's only one plant being attacked, the easiest and cheapest
thing would be to take a jar of soapy water and just flick the beetles
off the plant into the jar. Use your fingers. The beetles don't bite or
sting. You will have to do it for a few days to get them all, but the
materials are likely to be readily available. The basil plant will
probably recover from the beetles' chewing unless it's completely
defoliated. Even then, given good growing conditions, basil is a fairly
tough plant and can sprout new leaves from chewed-off stems.

As far as the bag-a-bug is concerned, I wouldn't use it for a local
problem. The trap works by presenting a pheromone to attract the
beetles, which fall into a bag containing soapy water, where they drown.
The Japanese beetles are strong fliers, so they will come from fairly
far away to the trap. Since not all of them get trapped, you will
probably find that you have more beetles in that area when you use the
trap.

This won't help with your bugs, but if you want cut basil to last a loooooong
time, put a copper penny in the water with it. I've kept mine in the
refrigerator for weeks, just cutting the ends every couple of days,
zemedelec

Holy Cow!

Now every tree in our yard is completely infested with the things!
I found one store selling Bag-a-Bug.

The bags fill up in literally less than an hour, so I rigged up a big
kitchen-size garbage bag under the lure.

The whole neighborhood is infested...it's biblical proportions!

Time for a massive planting of 4 O'clocks!


--
"In this universe the night was falling,the shadows were lengthening
towards an east that would not know another dawn.
But elsewhere the stars were still young and the light of morning
lingered: and along the path he once had followed, man would one day go
again."

Arthur C. Clarke, The City & The Stars

SIAR
www.starlords.org
Bishop's Car Fund
http://www.bishopcarfund.Netfirms.com/
Freelance Writers Shop
http://www.freelancewrittersshop.netfirms.com

wrote in message
...
Holy Cow!

Now every tree in our yard is completely infested with the things!
I found one store selling Bag-a-Bug.

The bags fill up in literally less than an hour, so I rigged up a big
kitchen-size garbage bag under the lure.

The whole neighborhood is infested...it's biblical proportions!


---
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