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nafex - RE: [NAFEX] Grape Vines and Japanese Beetles

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  • From: "Joe Hecksel" <jhecksel@voyager.net>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: RE: [NAFEX] Grape Vines and Japanese Beetles
  • Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2003 14:34:01 -0400



> Yep you are pretty close. I'm over north east of Anderson.
>
> I have read about Milky Spore and it is an organic control method,
but I'm not sure that the expense of it is worth it for me
<snip>
.....so maybe I just didn't have many Japanese Beetles because of that
or because they just aren't around me that thick. I know they were
there because there were some weeds they REALLY liked that were
completely defoliated when I would come across, --

Japanese Beetles love to eat my grape vines and raspberry bushes.

Japanese Beetles emit a phermone that attract more JBs. A classic case
of positive feedback (in the engineering sense) results. The first few
plants that they set up camp on results in the numbers on that plant
snowballing. The mob spills over to nearby plants.

I think that it is extremely critical to control infestations early in
the season. Otherwise you become a beacon to every beetle downwind of
your vines.

Japanese Beetles do not respect property lines. You would have to
treat all the property in a plume for a considerable distance downwind
of your grapes. Difficult in the best of times. Impossible if the
wind changes direction.

JBs are slow and stupid in the cool of the morning. A possible organic
control is to open the door to the chicken house first thing in the
morning, throw some scratch feed under the vines, and then vigorously
agitate the vines. The beetles will fall to the ground and remain
immobile for a few seconds while they figure out what happened.

In my next life time I plan on tacking several of the phermone baited
traps to a dock. I will slit the bag. Should have outstanding fishing
next to that dock.

Problems are misplaced resources.


Joe Hecksel
Personal Webpage http://my.voyager.net/~jhecksel





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