First, where did you get the zipper traps?

That is a great improvement over the ones I used last year. You couldn't dump them out!

I just put my trap up toward the road in the redbud tree. I will do another on the west side of the yard....when I find where to get the zipper ones. I wanted it away from the blackberry patch.
So far....none here...........yet.

Race Brother's had them Glenda. When I called, they said they only had Safer brand traps but when I got there, these were on the bottom shelf under those and the brand is Rescue. I think they were six or seven dollars each. Walmart said they didn't get any in this year but the person I talked to might not have looked in the right spot.

I've been trying to find actual research/studies on using traps but not having much luck. One website says most traps can only attract them from 160 feet away or less. I think I'll try putting them about that far from my yard and see what happens. They need to be dumped every day or two, so I don't want them too far away.

The risk is if they ATTRACT Japanese Beetles but only catch a small percentage of them.
We may both be looking for a new place to live. lol

My neighbors on the back and west side of me had traps for a few years. I didn't, but never saw so many beetles. The idea of emptying those gross things out got me, so I never used the traps. Instead I knocked them off the driveway crepe myrtles into soapy water several times every day. They were very dead when I dumped them. When the neighbors stopped putting up the traps (and they are not very close neighbors) my beetle population went down. So I do wonder if the traps attracted them to the neighborhood.

This year I'm spraying with Sevin. They fall like rain, it's more humane than drowning, and I think it will be very effective. We shall see. Japanese beetles are right up there with squirrels that dig up my cannas in a species I could do without.
Sunny

I put a trap about twenty feet away from our adored-by-beetles river birch last year and it appeared to work (to lure them away from the tree). Some days I had to empty it twice. Yuck.

In the back yard I spray with Seven, which does kill them instantly, but this year I'm thinking of just using a trap instead. Especially if I can get those zipper types.

In the back yard they love the plum tree, the Zeffy rose, followed by their least favorite, the pink Knockouts. I can't decide if taking out the plum tree and Zeffy rose would cause them to leave or just send them on to my other roses and plants in massive swarms.

Do Not Use Japanese Beetle Traps!

Research at the University of Kentucky has shown that if only one or two traps are used in a garden, as few as 54 percent of the beetles are actually captured. But there is also a net increase in the beetles in the area around the traps feeding on your plants! This is true even though in the study a single trap often captured as many as 20,000 adult beetles in a single day. Therefore, traps can actually increase damage. They have only been shown to be effective in community wide efforts.

Here is a link that might be useful: More Info in Factsheet

This is food for thought....I may take down my one trap. The fact sheet won't load for me this morning....I will have to come back later and check it.

Thanks.

The Greene County Master Gardeners aren't recommending the use of the traps this year. I've never used one but I think it would be very satisfying to empty out a big bag of them. I'm not too impressed by studies and statistics as they can be skewed to say whatever. I won't be using the traps because I'm lazy and squeamish. ;-)

Several area gardeners have found they end up having to empty the traps two to four times a day and they still have an equal amount of damage if not more.

Ask anyone who's used them if you don't believe the studies.

My experience was that the trap successfully lured them off my river birch. They were swarming the tree by the thousands before I ever put the trap out, however, my neighbors had a trap out so maybe that attracted them to begin with. After putting the trap out I only saw a few at the tree while emptying out the trap twice a day for awhile. If I'd know ahead of time they enjoyed river birch flavor I'd have never had it put in, but I'm stuck with it now.

I did a lot of research last year and finally decided this trap was the best (if imperfect and STINKY) solution. If traps do lure more in, what can you do if half the people around you have traps out? It's a complicated problem.

The problem is the community part....either getting everyone to put out traps or not.

I just found my first 2 JBs today. One on my chaste tree and the other on one of the elm trees that got devastated last year. I flicked them so hard they reverted back to larval stage lol. If they hit as hard this year as they did last, I will try a trap or 2. Last year there were no traps in the area and I doubt there will be this year unless I buy some. Since I live in a rural area I should be able to tell if the traps actually work or not. If JBs are hitting my elms hard I will place the traps around 100 feet away to see if there's a decrease in #s around the trees. If there's an increase in #s then I will increase the distance from the trees. If that doesn't help the traps will go in the garbage and the sevin will come out along with milky disease and/or nematodes in the fall.

If you really want to help, count the beetles you collect in your trap and document the numbers on a daily basis, then turn those results into the extension to the Greene County Extension and they can compare.

The recommendation to not use the traps also comes from Anastasia Becker Integrated Pest Management Program Manager for the Missouri Department of Agriculture in Jefferson City, MO. You can call her at (573) 526-0837. And the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Columbia, MO, (573) 875-529.

I know that the traps are controversial. But 2 years ago I put out 2 traps because the JB had invaded my yard. Must have trapped about 10 pounds worth in a week. I also purchased and put out 1 can of Milky Spore through my flower garden. Last year I did not put out traps, but every day I went on the hunt for JB. I found and hand killed about 7 through the entire summer. I noticed that they seemed most attracted to the Hollyhocks. My Hollyhocks are between flowering seasons this year. It will be intresting to see how many JB I find this year, so far zero.

I can understand why they recommend not using them in your yard. They attract more than they catch.
But I don't want to put them in my yard. I want to put them OUTSIDE my yard to attract them away. Our property is a quarter mile deep.

I am using soapy water too. I put dawn dish detergent and cooking oil in a bowl and just knock them into the water. They can't get back out and they die. I am not too squeamish to kill them. They're eating on my crepe myrtles and demolishing the leaves on my malva. The daylilies are blooming now and they are slowly gravitating toward them. Yesterday I found 3 in each of my 3 calla lily blooms.

I hung the bags yesterday evening about 500 feet from the house where there's a clump of trees in the middle of our field. I checked them this afternoon and I'm certain that SOMEBODY must have fewer Japanese Beetles than they used to, because there were hundreds, if not thousands, on the elm tree where the traps are hanging and of course a lot in the bags.
I unzipped the bottoms of the beetle traps and dropped the beetles out into a Walmart bag, the bag went sideways and nearly half of them landed on the ground. If I wasn't squeamish, I could've stomped them before they flew away. I'd rather they escaped than to have them on the bottom of my sneakers though. Hope they're not wiser from their experience and will fly back into the bag.

Violet - It wouldn't be possible to count them. There's too many. I might be able to estimate in cupsful or something. It would be interesting to see if I caught less and less if I used the bags for a few years in a row but I might give up before then.

This will be interesting to follow about the traps.

I had previously put up the one I had left from last year, up in the front yard away from the gardens.It has about a cup of something in the bottom and is covered with flies! It was disgusting to see and it smells. I think I will remove it to the trash can.

There was only one JB on the bag and not at the top where the pheromone bait is. Something has eaten holes in the Redbud tree's leaves where the bag is but I didn't see the bugs.

I scouted for them in various places and still haven't seen them on other plants. Last year I trapped a 5-gallon bucket full. I am still waiting for them to show up in time for a blackberry feast.

Beetle Report:

I found them on some roses, on the Kiss-Me-Over-the-Garden Gate (they love these, I remember from last year)and one salvia farinacea. I saw one on the redbud tree. I tossed the trap in the trash and sprayed an AP spray on others affected.

So far none on the blackberries which have a few black ones.

I collected about a quart jar of beetles out of each of my two bags today. I do still have plenty of them in my yard especially on my purple leaf sandcherries. I can't tell if there's any less than last year. It seems about the same. It's quite satisfying to kill so many regardless. : )

I put my first bag out yesterday. Twenty-four hours later it needed to be emptied. That's less than last year when I was emptying it twice a day, although I suppose more could arrive any day.

I collected two more quarts of Japanese Beetles today.
This is my purple leaf sandcherry in my yard.

And this is the elm tree limb where the traps are hanging.

Ugh, they're so disgusting! I'm not one of those people who's paranoid about bugs, these things just give me the heebie jeebies.

Anyway, that's about what my roses and a plum tree look like. I'm sitting here in my recliner watching out the window as they swarm the rose I can see. I'm pretending they're bumble bees, haha.

I'm "one of those people paranoid ..." -- In the interest of Good Mental Health, I think your bumblebee approach is priceless. Good for you -- these things will pass and then we can kill their grubs any number of ways --

Sunny

Glenda - I thought you were joking when you said you trapped a five gallon bucket full last year, but now can see that would be possible. There were a lot more in my bags today than yesterday. One was completly full and they're large bags. I'm guessing one bag would hold well over a gallon. The other bag was only about half full, but still there must be thousands. Do you think you have less this year after killing so many last year?

Christie, in a word, NOO!!!

Sevin seems to be the only thing knocking them and the minute I spray, it comes a little morning drizzle to wash it off.

I go back and check to see if they have returned and then spray again.

They seem to love the elms trees and saplings! I missed the top of my Alba rose and it was covered....got them yesterday. Also found a few on the pole beans...still not on the black berries. I will pick what few are ripe today.

I am not seeing many on most of the flowers other than the KMOTGG and roses and my one dahlia had l or 2.

I still haven't put up any traps.

glenda

I am reporting that there are way more beetles here than last year. They are defoliating my Elm trees.....I am just spraying roses and any vegetables I see them on.

I read Ky's website regarding the nasties and am hoping our hot and dry will kill off the grubs. They lay eggs daily in the ground! Maybe the moles will eat them all....maybe that is why I have moles.......

Both of my bags were full to the top again yesterday. They're very hard to unzip when they're full and one of the zippers broke. I'm going to duct tape a trash bag to the bottom of it. I think that will work.
I hate the smell. I've been triple bagging them and putting them in my trash barrel but can still smell them half-way across the yard.

I think your elm trees will bounce back. It's hard on them though, especially if we go into a drought.

This is the first year I have had the beetles. I have been lucky to only have found about a dozen. I fear it is going to get bigger and bigger problem every year now that they made it here.

Pray they don't hit you Beerhog!

When I went out last evening to hang the traps, they were swarming the west end of the garden. I hung two in the old apple tree and was afraid to open my mouth for fear one would fly in!

See what I mean:

I'm sure I've collected more than five gallons now but I haven't seen them as thick on my trees as the ones in your photo Glenda. That's just sad. They do so much damage.

Both of my bags busted out their zippers on the bottom so I duct taped 55 gallon lawn bags onto them to catch the beetles. lol I really don't expect them to get full. I just used those because they were heavy duty and they reach the ground so it won't pull the bag off the tree.

Christie, we had one overflowing yesterday morning. We dump some out for the chickens and they gobble them up!

We over half-filled the bucket again and my husband said the one in the apple tree was loaded again yesterday evening.

Strangely, my elderly neighbor (not sure she really knows) says she doesn't have any. She is so medicated she almost falls out of the chair when sitting very long. DH said he expected he to nod off at any minute.

She doesn't have much they thrive on unlike us. I saw a piece of ground under the elm tree that looked almost like it had been tilled. The top was very loose; I think it is where the females bore down to lay their eggs. I may try to treat some ground next year.

So far the bags have held up. To empty, I turn them upside down to take some pressure off the zipper before I unzip.

beerhog I'm a little north of you in springdale. They are giving my elm trees hell but are leaving everything else alone just like last year. There seems to be fewer of them but they're not in full force here yet. I'm not going to put bags out unless they start on other plants. The elms kept up with them last year and seem to be doing as well this year. I will be using some BT in the fall.
I'd say if you're having a problem with JBs and don't have elms then get some. I harvested lots of seeds this year if anyone wants some. I'll also be transplanting some saplings to other parts of the yard.

Systemic spray for ornamental's, do not use on plants you eat!
Usually works for about 6 weeks.

Here is a link that might be useful: Systemic products

Posted this over in pests earlier.
I am using my vacuum sweeper out there to suck em up. It is at least gratifying to hear them bumping down into the bag.
I will certainly be going after the grubs before long.
This year is horrible and people are about to lose their sanity over these nasties.

Taz - the elm where I hung the traps was covered with Japanese Beetles but the others don't seem to be heavily damaged. Their very favorites in my yard are purple leaf sandcherry, and crape myrtes. There are several other things that get eaten too. It seems like they spread out more each year and eat things that they didn't eat in past years.

I think my beetle numbers are dwindling but can't say for sure yet.

Ekoboat - Due to laziness and trying to attract butterflies, I don't normally use sprays but I'm curious what the brand is that you use. My dad has been using Sevin Spray on some of his plants but it has to be reapplied pretty often I think.

Karen - I found the thread in the Pest forum that you mentioned and posted there.

Here is a link that might be useful: Japanese Beetles and Deer - Pest forum

The trick with these pests is to squish or knock them from plants you really care about. I get the occasional stray that starts eating a canna lily or morning glories but I kill or knock it off before it draws others in. If you keep up with them then there won't be an infestation on those plants. You have to be very diligent. I know many of you have jobs to go to but for those of you that have the time, make a pass through the yard as often as possible to keep them from your most treasured plants. The best time to control these critters is before the infestation.

gldno your apple tree picture is going to give me nightmares. Ugghh. I had been been putting out traps every year for the past 3 or 4 years and every year we were getting more and more. We had not had issues with them until about 7 or 8 years ago. Last year they decimated my little Yoshino(?) cherry and I thought it would not survive. They also seemed to love my Rose of Sharon's, boston ferns and strangely enough basil. Two years ago we started spreading milky spore spring and fall. I had heard that the traps attract to your area so I did not put any out this year. I also broke down and applied Sevin with a hose end sprayer to the cherry and Rose of Sharon once so far. I try not to use pesticides if possible. I definitely have not seen as many this year as in the past but I am not sure if it is the milky spore or the Sevin..... or both. I am still seeing some holes in foliage but not like before. I had heard that it takes milky spore 2 or 3 years of application to work and it is not inexpensive.

mizmom you have misinterpreted. Milky spore only takes one application and lasts 20 years or more. It takes 2-4 years before you will notice it's effects.

Well, we still have the blasted critters.

Favorites here were: Plum, apple, peach, blackberries, rose of sharon, roses, elm trees and virginia creeper.

I plan to try the Milky Spore disease here and there. I like the fact that the grub that dies leaves millions of spore behind that lasts a very long time.

Milky Spore not for another 20 years?...... Hurray!!!!! I am very glad to hear that.

Milky Spore not for another 20 years?...... Hurray!!!!! I am very glad to hear that.

We are trapping fewer now but they are still on roses, rose of sharon and my pole beans. I will spray with Sevin today.
Maybe it will bring on rain!

They live 6 or so weeks which means I may have them until mid-July..............

Very few left here now. There were fewer this year in this area. I believe treatment with MS and BT are working in the long run. Large numbers will probably still advance to the west over the next few years.

Posted by christie, Sun, Jul 4, 10 at 10:34,
I think my beetle numbers are dwindling but can't say for sure yet.

The typical cycle for Japanese Beetles is about 7 weeks. The first sighting I'm aware of was May 31 and a week later a lot more people reported sightings. So give or take slight differences in location, so that's about right. We should be on the tail end now.

Christie we got a second swarm last week; just as many as the first. We dumped three full traps today and then trashed them. I sprayed everything with the orchard spray but it doesn't work as well as straight Sevin. I saw them still flying around the peach tree after I sprayed. They have damaged my River Birch; the pole beans and several fruit trees all the rose of sharon shrubs and all the roses.
I also found them on the row of okra.

I did see my two little new plums are putting out new leaves. I will keep them sprayed with Sevin.

I noticed a second flush too Glenda, right after the heavy rain. I wonder if there were new ones crawling out of the ground or if they were just extra hungry.
Violet - I noted one year that it was almost mid August before the Japanese Beetles disappeared. I truly hope you're right about it being near the end though. Maybe they started earlier this year.

I also got a second batch but not as many. These do seem to be a little more aggressive though.