Japanese Beatles and other pests

[wildflowers6886]

I've always grown roses where I use to live and they just thrived, never had any problems.* At our new home, I am finding I am having a problem with Japanese Beatles....Any suggestions on gettin rid of them other than using the unsightly beatle traps??** What are some great companion plants that can help deter pests away from them?* Thanks!!

[Newt]

The best way to deal with Japanese beetles is to treat your lawn for their grubs.* Fall is the time to do this.* There are things you can do now to help to control them.
http://www.planetnatural.com/site/xd...e-control.html
http://www.ghorganics.com/JapaneseBeetle.html

In the fall:
http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/publications/grubs/

Newt

[wildflowers6886]

Thanks for the advice, although we do treat for grubs, and didn't see any larvae when I dug new beds.* Maybe the neighbors need to treat their lawns, huh?* I know my parents have them pretty bad also, and they have their lawn treated as well.* My Mom said she uses a powder on the roses, and she also uses the bags.* I just hate using those bags, they are so ugly!*

[Newt]

You are very welcome!* There are powders and sprays that you can use, but I wouldn't have them in my house, no less use them in my garden. Sevin is one such product and it's highly toxic to bees and beneficial insects, not to mention the dangers to humans and pets.* Here's some excerpts.
http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles...baryl-ext.html

"Birth defects in rabbit and guinea pig offspring occurred only at dosage levels which were highly toxic to the mother. A 1980 New Jersey epidemiological study found no evidence of excess birth defects in a town sprayed with carbaryl for gypsy moth control. There is only limited evidence that carbaryl causes birth defects in humans."

How nice of them to have those poor bunnies eat enough to be toxic to her and her babies.

"Mutagenic Effects
Numerous studies indicate that carbaryl poses only a slight mutagenic risk (8, 12). However, carbaryl can react with nitrite under certain conditions to give rise to N-nitrosocarbaryl. Nitrosocarbaryl has been shown to be highly mutagenic at low levels in laboratory test systems. This may be a concern to humans because there is a possibility that carbaryl, a pesticide, and nitrite, a substance found in food additives and in human saliva, may react in the human stomach to form nitrosocarbaryl (2, 8). Carbaryl has been shown to affect cell mitosis (cell division) and chromosomes in rats (13)."

"ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS
Carbaryl is lethal to many nontarget insects. The pesticide is more active in insects than in mammals. The destruction of honeybee populations in sprayed areas is sometimes a problem. Carbaryl is moderately toxic to aquatic organisms, such as rainbow and lake trout, bluegill, and cutthroat. It is also moderately toxic to wild bird species, with low toxicity to Canada geese (12).

Accumulation of carbaryl can occur in catfish, crawfish, and snails, as well as in algae and duckweed. Residue levels in fish were 140 fold greater than the concentration of carbaryl in water. In general, due to its rapid metabolism and rapid degradation, carbaryl should not pose a significant bioaccumulation risk in alkaline waters. However, under conditions below neutrality it may be significant (14)."

From everything I've read those traps attract more beetles.* If you have a large property and can place them on the perimeter away from your roses, that could work.

Newt

[wildflowers6886]

So far, I've just been picking them off and smashing them, the problem with that is that I just don't always have time to get out there and pick them off.* I have heard that those bags can attract more, which is partly why I haven't put any out.* I do have several books that I need to dig out that have some natural rememdies, and I'm sure there will be something in there....when I find it, I'll post what I have learned.

Speaking of baby bunnies....a few weeks ago we discovered a nest of baby bunnies in* a large flower pot right next to our deck.* The funny thing is we have two yellow labs that play out side a lot and come in and out of the using the deck.* They never smelled the bunnies until the bunnies left the nest, then they were on the trail....my husband laughed, said "some hunting dogs they are".* While our dogs are not used for hunting, our youngest labs parents were "champion hunters".* We got a kick out of them.

[Newt]

You are correct about those beetle traps.* They attract more to the garden.* If you have a large garden you could place them around the perimeter.* Try placing an old sheet under shrubs and shaking the shrubs to drop the beetles onto the sheet.* Then you can dump them into a bucket of soapy water.

Your story about your labs reminds me of my lab and my husky.* The lab never bothers any wildlife that comes into my yard, but my husky always seems to find any critters and chase them.* The thing that amazes me is the husky is blind!* I suppose she relies on her nose even more.

Newt

[lejardin22]

I have had some success with using a Neem spray in repelling Japanese Beetles.* It isn't foolproof but it helped make the handpicking much easier.
Also, using Messenger seems to help with insect problems in general as well as diseases.

I live in what must be Japanese Beetle paradise, because untreated, I can sometimes pick 40 at a time a few times a day!

[Bird]

I have fopund it helpful to companion plant garlic near my roses and this seems to deter the beetles

[LilJani]

Well, garlic worked in our garden as well but we also had to get rid of some snails. After consulting a florist if he could recommend any non-chemical ways to do so, he urged me to stomp egg shells and put them around the flowers and the snails wouldn't be able to get to the roses and right he was. I don't know why it works but as long as it does work it's fine with me :)