North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[LONGDISTSHTR <longdistshtr@shtc.net>]

Christopher Mauchline wrote:
> 
> Doc,
>     Japanese beetles love grapes (I think more than they love roses),
> heres what I did to get them under control for my acre of vines.  I
> placed milky spore down the center of the rows (in the grassy
> strip).  During the summer I would place traps surrounding the
> vineyard (trying to lure the beetles that were flying into the area)
> and in the evening my father would walk the vineyard rows with the
> bottom of a milk jug filled w/ ~1" of gasoline.  He would brush the
> beetles into the gas, which would kill the beetles.  In cooler
> (evening) weather, when disturbed the beetles tend to drop while when
> it's hot they'll fly off instead.  The beetles don't directly bother
> the grape berries but go after the leaves.  So in my case I just need
> to reduce the damage to the point where the beetles don't overly
> impact photosynthesis.
> 
> I don't know whether the milky spore has done the job or whether the
> beetles have hit a low cycle in the reproduction (I believe most
> species that don't have natural controls tend to have a boom/bust
> cycle in their population) but the beetle population has been much
> reduced lately.  I don't bother with the traps any more, but I would
> use them on a new planting, if I had just places milky spore (which
> seems more difficult to find than it used to be).
> 
> Question:  If the Sevin is sprayed when the beetles are there (long
> after blooming), why are you concerned for the bees?  Bees (from my
> observation) don't usually go near plants that aren't blooming, so
> the only dangers would be spray drift or if the hives are inamongst
> your trees (Unless I'm mistaken?)
> 
> Chris Mauchline
> SE PA, zone 6
> 
> --- In nafex@egroups.com, LONGDISTSHTR <longdistshtr@s...> wrote:
> > I had a chance to ask a local radio program horticulturist for a
> > solution to the Japanese Beetle problem and he just shook his head
> and
> > told me that the traps that people put out don't do much but waste
> the
> > gardeners' money. The oil in the can bit seems to get more of them
> but
> > doesn't decrease them decernibly.
> > I've finally got a good crop of plum and apples in SC but am losing
> them
> > due to these critters. I hate to use Sevin 'cause of my honey bees.
> > Anyone tried milky spore disease? I know it doesn't work on the
> adults
> > but I'll try it this fall if it will reduce them. I have a bumper
> crop
> > of figs and muscadines and I'm sure not looking forward to the June
> Bug
> > hatch coming up soon.
> > The Japanese Beetles raise cane with my asparagus but at least the
> crop
> > season is over by the time they hatch. It still must damage and
> weaken
> > the plants though.
> > Any ideas about non-toxic repellents or biologicals? I'm being
> forced to
> > take up golf and give up on this fruit production. Getting tired of
> > feeding these beetles, fire ants (got two hives of my bees) and June
> > Bugs (ruin all my late figs, [LSUs,Sals,Almas,Brown Turkeys and
> > Celeste]) Thanks for any info! Doc Lisenby, Zone 8/7
> 
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Thanks Chris, the proximity of bee hives and plum trees is my main
worry. I just don't like the idea of having Sevin any where bees. If it
gets in the brood in very small amounts it will kill the young bees.
They have enough problems with mites and other insecticides from soybean
farmers. It is not unusual to lose two or three hives and at over a
hundred bucks or so a hive plus the honey production profit loss it's
not long before the cheaper import honey from China and So. Amer. and
the clover honey from the mid west, which the un-initiated prefer, makes
it tough to get minimum wages. Anyone tried Surround suggested by John
Mosko? Thanks also from our friend in Great Falls, Va. It looks as tho'
I'll be stuck with classic solutions for another year but with more
confidence in their use. Thanks guys, Doc Lisenby Happy 4th to the
States folks

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