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gldno1

The Insects Have Arrived!

gldno1
15 years ago

Latest report:

Jap Beetles on almost everyting.....they thrive on neem oil

Red aphids covering the heliopsis.

White mealy bugs abound.

Tiny bag worms are here; cut down one remaining arborvitae that had the top absolutely devoured. Discovered these while sitting on the porch and saw tiny bags attached to the railings, potted plants and the walls. Also saw little bits of eg stuff on floor of porch....they were on the host arborvitae. Now have to check my one dwarf spruce.

Oh, almost forgot zillions of tiny grasshoppers.

Back to sevin for me.

Comments (11)

  • christie_sw_mo
    15 years ago

    I just noticed today how many grasshoppers had hatched out. Hopefully, about 99 percent of them will get eaten before they grow up though.
    Lots of Japanese Beetles here too. I've lost my appetite for raspberries because they're clustering around the berries.

    I had trouble with blister beetles eating stuff last year but haven't seen any of those yet.

  • helenh
    15 years ago

    I didn't order anything from Gardens Alive this year, but I have been ordering grub killing nematodes every year for my hosta bed. I just noticed the other day that I have no holes in my hosta leaves this year. I wonder if the nematodes are still working. Also when it rains the slugs come out to eat the cat food; I have been squashing them with a vengence. Hint - don't squash a big slug with Crocks on or you break your neck stepping on a slick rock.

  • oakleif
    15 years ago

    LOL helenh,ick! yuck!ah-h-h! I can't handle slimey slugs. I use the GETMO method and springle a little salt on them!!!

    I've thousands of little grasshoppers and baby toads a size smaller than grasshoppers.

  • helenh
    15 years ago

    I saw my first copperhead this evening. I always have them in July. I put my hoe by the door and will be watching to see if it comes back. They usually eat the cicadas, but I haven't seen any of those yet. Maybe they like the japanese beetles.

  • minirose1
    15 years ago

    We have an interesting situation here and I probably shouldn't mention it as it may backfire on me, but we don't have any Japanese Beetles yet! I'm wondering if they may have drowned out with all the rain we've had, but it sounds like you guys are seeing them and you've had rain too, so I'm mystified. Happily so, so far! Haven't had the armadillos digging either! Oh Happy Day! OK, now that I've let the cat out of the bag, they will probably show up.

  • gldno1
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    minirose, you may have jinxed yourself! Hope they don't show up.

    I now have white flies on the tomatoes and June bugs attacking the black berries.

  • helenh
    15 years ago

    I ordered spinosad from gardens alive for daylily thrips. They have their own name for it. I have driven all over wasting gas; I finally decided to pay the postage and the big price. My daylilies are not used to all this rain. My ugliest one that clashes with my magenta phlox and pink crepe myrtle is blooming its head off. Many years I have thought of throwing it away, but I just moved it to a less choice spot. It has loads of buds and has been blooming a month already. It is orange with a magenta eye. Next thing you know I'll be crossing it with pretty daylilies for its nostop bloom characteristic.

  • gldno1
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    helen, I want to see that daylily that is so ugly....

    You should have seen my orange lily next to a bright pink one!

  • pauln
    15 years ago

    The only parts of Arkansas that have Japanese Beetles at present are Benton and Washington Counties. They don't seem to be a problem anywhere else in the state. Looks like Springfield/Joplin areas have an outbreak. They are usually worst the first couple of years, then kind of settle down a bit. They also depend on a wet late summer to get a good hatch for the eggs to become grubs. These grubs live over the winter in a grassy area and emerge in June as beetles. Of course, lawns and golf courses which get irrigation will get a good hatch no matter what the weather holds.

    Beetles can be killed with sevin dust, or a systemic containing imidacloprid on trees/shrubs which are being eaten by JB.

    Here's a good link to a publication from the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service: http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/PDF/FSA-7062.pdf

    I've had good luck getting rid of slugs and snails by putting a piece of scrap plywood on bare ground near my garden. The slugs will hide under the board during the day and slime out at night. Every couple of days, I pull back the board and pick off the slugs. Of course, this is somewhat nasty, but I don't have to worry about putting out slug bait or wasting perfectly good beer :o)

  • christie_sw_mo
    15 years ago

    I've seen mockingbirds and sparrows eating Japanese Beetles and have read that Sevin doesn't work very well unless it directly contacts the beetles anyway so I don't use pesticides for them (even though I would love very much to kill them all). I think it takes the birds awhile to learn to eat them so that may explain why they settle down after a couple years.

    My daughter used the Dustbuster on my raspberry bushes to get rid of the JB's and it worked better than I thought it would. They were mostly on the leaves but some were on the berries. Here's a photo before she started cleaning. Warning - this is gross:

    I saw a Junebug today but also saw a couple Monarchs on my butterfly bush.

  • minirose1
    15 years ago

    Well, my husband claims to have seen a couple of JB's on a peach but I have yet to see even one and they are usually bombarding us this time of year. The blackberries are getting ripe and they usually are bad in amongst the fruit. We've lived here for 27 years and this is the first time to not have gazillions of them. We used to raise rabbits for market (for about 10 years) and they were awful in the barns since they love the manure. We did our best to keep the barns clean and would put lime under the cages, but they thrived anyway. I'm really enjoying not having them as usual. Have noticed white flies on the beans and turnips though We just try to raise enough for everybody, including the bugs!