Garden

[goldensrbest]

They are here in maine,again eating my roses, i planted zinnias from seed ,in spring,they are flowering and they are eating them,i hate these bugs.

[Jtdmum]

 Have you tried Milky spore?  you need to apply 3x through the season and it does take a year to help but it does work.   The other option is chemical/grub killer if you choose to go that route.

I'm not far away from you and it's worked great for me.

[StylishLady]

Fortunately they are not a problem down here in southwest Florida. Back in central NY they were. I used those beetle traps. Hated them, but it seemed to help.

[JustJazzmom]

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@Jtdmum wrote:

 Have you tried Milky spore?  you need to apply 3x through the season and it does take a year to help but it does work.   The other option is chemical/grub killer if you choose to go that route.

I'm not far away from you and it's worked great for me.

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Two options -- pick them out with gloves and drop into a bucket of soapy water or a jar of soapy water. Or set up Japanese beetle traps at edge of your property or on a neighbor's property with permission of course to catch them.

Milky spore is a great product for preventing the larvae (grubs) from maturing to beetles BUT your soil temperatures need to be consistent year round for effectiveness. Research has shown that because of our cold winters, milky spore application is not as effective as when applied in states in the Southern areas. This might be why you had to apply it 3X @Jtdmum Also milky spore only works against Japanese beetle grubs, not the other kinds of grubs found in the soil.

[goldensrbest]

I will get some milky spore, where do you buy that?

[goldensrbest]

I checked on line for prices, it seems to be expensive.

[JustJazzmom]

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@goldensrbest wrote:

I will get some milky spore, where do you buy that?

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@goldensrbest

Nursery stores. But check with your local Extension Service to see if using it is effective in the area where you live. Don't want you to be wasting money, if it doesn't work.

https://nifa.usda.gov/partners-and-extension-map Click on your state and then local your County Office.

[Lilysmom]

@goldensrbest, aren't they just the worst?  I ended up taking all those lilies out of my garden.  LM

[msvictoria]

You must have grubs, so if you treat your lawn for them, you will rid of the Japanese beetles. I learned all of this the hard way. After 15 years of having a nice lawn, I noticed it dying in large areas, but I thought it was due to a dry summer. By the time I finally called in a lawn service, the damage was done.. My lawn was down to pulverized dirt. I also was having big trouble with the greenhorn worms eating my tomato plants (they are THE grossest thing EVER and I'm not squeamish!). Since putting down grub treatment, they too are gone.

The reason I'm writing you is to let you know that it has cost me almost $2000 to hydroseed, etc. Be sure to check your lawn for grubs because by the time you notice a problem, it's usually too late. I'm in NH and this is the time to spread a grub control for larvae. Good luck!

[ValuSkr]

If you have a limited number of plants attracting Japanese beetles, you can walk around the garden during the day with a jar of soapy water.  When you see one, flick it into the jar; it will die.  When done, cover the jar, and repeat every day until their season is over.  As for the traps with a bag, I've heard they attract many more Japanese beetles to your yard than you'd have otherwise.  That could mean more larvae in your soil.  I wouldn't use them; at best the don't help much; at worst, they hurt.