Grubs.........Milky Spore question...
snc299
17 years ago
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yarddoctor
17 years agoturtlepie
17 years agoRelated Discussions
milky spore application questions
Comments (9)Thomis: Milky spore is available in two forms, that I know of. There is the pure spore, available in small amounts, but best purchased in 44 ounce cans at a price of about $80. Nominally, one of these cans can cover 10,000 sq. ft., but in actual experience will cover much, much more, if you are able to properly distribute it. Applicators sold with the pure spore consist of a long, cardboard tube with the business end equipped with openings much like a can of ground black pepper or other spice. You fill the tube with pure spore, than walk along bumping it on the ground, attempting to drop anywhere from 1/2 to 1 teaspoon on a recommended 4-foot grid. This procedure is necessarily imprecise, but the objective is coverage, not precision. I have found, by actual experience, that I can expand to an 8-foot grid or even larger with little to no loss of effect, and the amount dropped with each bump can be miniscule. I used three 44 ounce cans on my own acre, but took a single leftover can to my son's place where I did two acres. All of my Japanese beetles were gone within about one year, but so were his. That taught me something. This is a biological product, and if conditions are right, it will propagate itself over a very wide area. It spreads by infecting beetle larvae in the ground, which then explode and produce millions of new spores. It slows or stops propagating when it runs out of larvae to infect. I applied milky spore to my place in July, and did my son's property in August, but I don't think it makes much difference what time you do it during the summer months. A common formulation of milky spore sold today is a granular product, consisting of a very low percentage of active ingredient mixed with a carrier designed to make it possible to apply with a broadcast spreader. This makes it more convenient to apply, especially if you already have a broadcast spreader (the cardboard tube applicator costs a little over $10). Whether you choose the pure or spreadable product is a choice for you to make, but in terms of cost I think you get a lot more active ingredient on the ground with the pure spore, at the cost of a slighly more complicated method of application. I have found milky spore to be effective against a range of beetles much wider than I originally thought. In addition to eliminating JB's, it has also wiped out the tan/brown night feeding chafer beetles (that love plum leaves) and even the larger, green June beetles. When I applied, I had plenty of product (about $300 worth) and went about 40 feet into my neighbor's properties on three sides. That may have helped me, and it certainly helped the neigbors. Whether you mow before, after, or during the application of milky spore is irrelevant to the action of this product. The point is to get it on the ground, and it may be helpful to have a little rain shower after you do to wash it in. I suppose that if you mowed right after application, while the pure spore product is still dry, it might actually help to spread it between the grids where you have placed it with your dop stick. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA...See MoreMilky Spore application question
Comments (4)Bart: I said I happened to do it in July on my son's place, but that was accident not choice. Earlier is better. If your bag says to do it three consecutive times - once in spring, summer and fall, that is different than the stuff I used. I don't know why they would say that; this should be a one-application product, if done properly. But you can do it any time during the summer. Don't make it more complicated than it really is. I applied it throughout the vegetable garden and all the beds. Obviously, I don't think there is the slightest risk of harm, but you may be able to search out other opinions. Check out yardiac.com for good prices on the pure spore, not the dilute stuff intended for spreader application. In larger quantities it gets a lot cheaper. I don't know how you would apply it to many acres but you may be able to mix it with an inert ingredient like lime and spread it that way. It will be a lot cheaper if you start with the pure product and mix it with something yourself. Sort of like combination fruit tree sprays; you end up paying about ten times as much for the same amount of chemical if you bought them separately. If you are going to limit application, starting under the trees or plants you wish to protect sounds reasonable. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA...See MoreMy Santaka Seeds have mold spores?
Comments (2)Too wet and too warm = mold growth and mold spores are in the air all around us so no telling where they came from. I'd go ahead and plant the seeds in your germination mix and assuming you keep proper moisture levels they should still germinate. If you are generally happy with this method of germination that's fine. Personally I find it more troublesome than the normal approach. Dave...See MorePervasive, non-fatal 'spores' on many types of plants
Comments (4)Since you have this pest on so many different plants, you'll really need to do your homework (on each plant) before applying anything, including insecticidal soaps or other chemicals. Ferns and jade, for example, can be quite sensitive to insecticidal soaps...whether a commercial product or home-made brew. Many stout hearted plant growers would be tempted to pitch their Boston Fern as far as they could throw it, should it become infested with scale. Others might try cutting the plant ALL of the way back to the soil level and starting all over again....See Morejoepyeweed
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