THE Japanese Beetle Thread (merged)

Heineken

Japanese beetles a potential post-PO food factor:
I've battled these little devils for years---a losing battle. They render a lot of crop types in the eastern US well-nigh impossible without intensive, frequent pesticide use. They feed heavily on crops for up to two months! And they're spreading relentlessly into the Midwest. Increasingly I'm focusing on the few crops (like figs, tomatoes, and shiitake mushrooms) that the beetles leave mostly alone. But there are very few such crops. I think the Japanese beetle could ultimately greatly limit the success of post-PO gardening and permaculture. We didn't have to deal with them in the US at all in the 19th century---they arrived here in 1916.
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dinvinci · Tar Sands Joined: Jul 04, 2006 Posts: 24

We have been lucky where we are and not had much of a pest problem in our garden this year. Last year we had aphids--my husband bought a batch of ladybugs and set them loose--they ate up all the aphids. Is there some kind of natural defense you can use against the beetles? I'm not much of a gardener, I confess, so I can't suggest anything.

Falconoffury · Expert Joined: May 25, 2004 Posts: 1382

How about cane toads? Oh wait... that didn't work in Australia. Forget that idea.
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Heineken

Some areas are affected more badly than others, and some areas aren't affected at all. There is also some variation from one year to the next, depending on rainfall amounts (droughts hurt the JB). But in general this problem continues to worsen.
There are no effective controls, IMO. You can spread milky spore disease, in powder form, at considerable cost; it will control the beetles in your immediate area, but they then just fly in from elsewhere.

Surround is a nontoxic claylike powder you spray on that provides a physical barrier; it's expensive and has to be reapplied after every rain. I've still noticed beetles covering Surround-treated plants. The beetles are fairly resistant to pesticides and becoming more so. Anyway, you kill them and they're back after a day or two.
Birds and assassin bugs take a few JBs, but not enough to make any meaningful difference.

Can't really stop them.
Once they're really established in your area and you try to grow food you'll know what I'm talking about and why I'm so concerned.
_________________
"Actually, humans died out long ago."
---Abused, abandoned hunting dog

"Things have entered a stage where the only change that is possible is for things to get worse."
---Me and my brother

dinvinci · Tar Sands Joined: Jul 04, 2006 Posts: 24

Yikes. We're in the mountains in western NC. It stays much cooler here than in most of the southeast because of our altitude. Maybe that helps, I don't know. For example the outside temp right now, at noon on a July day, is 75 degrees. 90+ degree days are only a handful per year.

NTBKtrader · Intermediate Crude Joined: Oct 19, 2004 Posts: 591

Heineken

Heineken

NTBKtrader · Intermediate Crude Joined: Oct 19, 2004 Posts: 591

Grimnir

From the thread title, I thought you were suggesting we humans start chowing down on the little guys. Though I suppose that might be a way to solve two problems at once...

Heineken

Heineken

Venerye

eric_b

Bad news. I live in Southern Wisconsin (Dane Co.) and the damn things are just starting to get established here.
Was over at a friend's house recently and they've got an extensive backyard garden. They don't have a heavy infestation (yet) but I was amazed at the amount of damage just a few of these things can do. They seem to eat just about anything - leaves and fruits. Some leaves just completely munched full of holes.

We used to get at least a few really good cold snaps each winter (where the temp. would drop well below 0 (F)... (less than -20 C for you metric people)) which helps to keep stuff like this in check. But over the past decade our Winters have really been getting warmer it seems.
The few web sites I glanced at said that once the Beetle was removed from its natural environment (Japan) and brought to the US it had no 'natural enemies' to keep its population in check (sort of like the fungus from China which wiped out the beautiful American Chestnut tree). The question is what are these natural enemies, and can some of them safely be brought over to the US to control these little beasts?

NTBKtrader · Intermediate Crude Joined: Oct 19, 2004 Posts: 591