North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Stephen Sadler" <Docshiva@Docshiva.org>]

Have you tried Milky spore or parasitic nematodes for Japanese beetle
control?  Oddly, the milky spore disease hasn't worked in trials in the
Midwest, but succeeds farther east...

Stephen Sadler, Ph.D
USDA 9, AHS heat zone 8, 
Sacramento CA - Mediterranean climate

-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Hector Black
Sent: Monday, March 07, 2005 5:41 AM
To: North American Fruit Explorers
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] downside of free potassium source

We found another use for granite dust.  When there's dew on the leaves of
the grapes and raspberries in the early morning, we throw it out to stick to
the leaves.  It doesn't kill the Japanese beetles, but they move away.  Wear
a dust mask as I"m sure it's not too good for the lungs.  The beetles go
until rain washes the dust off..  It would be interest for others to try
this during the summer and let us know if it works for them.  It's about the
only organic control for beetles that I've found aside from knocking them
off into soapy water.  Only limit is that you cannot use it when the
blackberries are forming as berries are too tender to have it washed off
them.
hector black, zone 6 middle tn.