Garden

[Jtdmum]

@JustJazzmom Not only just good for Japaneese Beetles, it needs to be applies three times the first year at specific times and repeated annually.  Generally doesn't take effect for the first year.  And...If you have neighbors close by that don't treat their area it's pretty ineffective.  

I did try it one year for beetles (not moles) and i was moderately disapointed.  If the product isn't extremely fresh it isn't effective. 

[JustJazzmom]

@Jtdmum  Interesting about freshness of product, since it is a bacteria. 

It is for use against Japanese beetles only according to wikipedia. And yes, I have read that if neighbors don't use it, it will make getting rid of yours more difficult since the beetles fly.

I think having bird feeders in your yard helps because while certain birds are awaiting their turn, they are wandering around & eating any grubs they find on lawn or among your plants.

Several Rosarians like myself who do feed the birds have found little to no Japanese beetles on their roses. Not sure if it's a cause/effect thing.

[Jtdmum]

@JustJazzmom Birds definetly help.  I was also very surprised about the product needing to be fresh.  The garden center near me has some really excellent workers and they were the ones who explained to me.   I had a year where the beetles were so bad they were clogging the skimmer basket in the pool.  I had the plastic bags with lures..tried everything.   I love the outdoors, it's the pesky stuff outside that gets annoying! 

[JustJazzmom]

If you have the lures, try to place them as far away on your property as possible or on your neighbor's property.

[Snoopp]

I think I have moles for the first time.  At least 50 holes in my yard.  There is a cat I see in my yard at night so maybe there is hope he catches the varmint.

[gardenman]

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@JustJazzmom wrote:

If you have the lures, try to place them as far away on your property as possible or on your neighbor's property.

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Putting them on your neighbors' properties is your best bet. Those traps are designed to lure Japanese beetles to them. If you put them near a plant you're trying to protect, you'll just lure more beetles to that plant. In a perfect world, all of your neighbors would have them on their property and as far from your property as possible creating a ring of attraction that would ambush any beetle heading your way.

People often make the mistake with mosquito traps, beetle traps, yellow jacket traps, etc. of putting them right where they're going to be, thinking the traps will catch and kill the pests before they can be a bother. What they end up doing is luring more than normal to their property while sparing their neighbors. They'll fill the traps with pests, but still be fighting them off at the same time. Their neighbors meanwhile are enjoying a peaceful, pest-free existence thanks to the traps luring the bugs to the other yard.

If you live in a typical block style neighborhood, loading up a pocket with bait for whatever pest is annoying you and then taking a walk around the block inconspicuously dropping off the baits a block away from your house in every direction, you'll solve your pest problem, but create bigger issues for your neighbors who won't be able to understand where all those bugs are coming from. "Don't those beetles drive you crazy?" they'll ask. "I haven't even seen one this year. I guess I'm just lucky." No, you're not lucky, you're just smarter than them.