The three Lindens that the beetles devoured look like it's October.
Totally brown, and half the leaves have fallen off.

I'm told it's not permanent damage, but is there anything I should do
to make up for the fact that there's no photosynthesis going on?
Any nutrients or anything?

Mitch,

Several years ago, gypsy moth caterpillars were particlularly bad in Pa.,
defoliating entire mountain sides. I remember driving home to visit in
June, and the mountains looked like it was late fall. As far as I remember,
they were attacking oaks. I grew up there and my father was still living
there when this was going on. When I visited him, being in the woods seemed
like October, with the leaves falling off the oaks. What I understood to be
the case with oaks was they could stand the defoliation for three
consecutive years before it would kill them. I'm not sure how hardy lindens
are, but a search on that tree variety might yield some information
concerning the defoliation and possible damage control.

As far as controlling the beetles there are two schools of thought.
Spraying (like Malathion or Sevin), or beetle traps. Some folks swear by
spraying, others by the traps. I prefer traps because I am trying to
control damage to fruit trees, and would rather not spray. The spraying
crowd will claim that the traps will draw more beetles into your area (which
I believe is true) causing more damage (which I have found from my
experience not to be true). I have used both methods, and while sraying was
definitely effective, I found it difficult to keep up with the beetles, as
more would come in to replace the dead ones every three of four days. To
lazy I guess. I was also at the point where it was getting difficult to
reach the top of the peach tree with my back pack sprayer.

I have a web site with some information that I have gathered this year
concerning using traps. I'm also selling something related to the traps, and
I put the web site up to promote that item. If you want to see what I've
been up to, e-mail me and I'll send back the URL. You can check it out and
see if any of the information is useful. Like they say "no purchase
necessary". The trees I'm trying to protect are peaches, and crab apples.
I don't know how what I've been doing might extend to other tree species.
If I get ambitious I might see what I can find on lindens. I know they are
on the Japanese beetle's preferred food list.

JD

wrote in message
...
The three Lindens that the beetles devoured look like it's October.
Totally brown, and half the leaves have fallen off.

I'm told it's not permanent damage, but is there anything I should do
to make up for the fact that there's no photosynthesis going on?
Any nutrients or anything?