JAPANESE BEETLES
I have tried and I am still trying to combat these things. I figured why not let others know what I am doing as well.
Here is one of them on my Hops vines
Your 2 Main Options
When combating the Japanese Beetle you have to make a choice, do I use traditional methods such as pesticides and other chemical controls or do I use a more organic approach.
I will discuss and explore both options. For myself I have tried both and they have similar results. However both do have their pros and cons.
MY THOUGHTS: Personally I would love to be 100% organic however I understand that their is no way that a organic way of life can compete against a chemical dependent way of farming. We as humans strive to better ourselves and we have made huge strides in Chemistry. For my own grapes a I take a 50/50 approach. I try to be as organic as possible however when things get out of hand I pull out the chemicals. I look at it as nature will only do so much and since the Japanese beetles are not natural to any part of the USA it will take human intervention once in a while to intervene.
I will discuss and explore both options. For myself I have tried both and they have similar results. However both do have their pros and cons.
MY THOUGHTS: Personally I would love to be 100% organic however I understand that their is no way that a organic way of life can compete against a chemical dependent way of farming. We as humans strive to better ourselves and we have made huge strides in Chemistry. For my own grapes a I take a 50/50 approach. I try to be as organic as possible however when things get out of hand I pull out the chemicals. I look at it as nature will only do so much and since the Japanese beetles are not natural to any part of the USA it will take human intervention once in a while to intervene.
ORGANIC
Here are a few methods that I have tried and have had some decent success with.
Be practical: Use your head, ask yourself can I take and implement a way to prevent insects from attacking my vines. Netting? I was using grow tubes and what a mess they caused with the Japanese beetles. I then had the light bulb go off. Cover the top of the tube with a nylon or panty hoe, and surround the bottom with soil.
If you have a dozen vines look into some screen to protect your young vines. With Larger vines this may not be possible. But investing a few dollars to build a screen structure may be worth it and you are not using any sprays.
Organic Insecticides: I have used with successful results two different types forms of insect prevention
Tobacco dust: Available at most garden centers, its organic and will keep bugs off your vines. Its high in Nicotine so avoid inhalation, sprinkle it on according to the directions and your plants will be nearly bug free. The only downfall if it rains, the dust will wash off. I also had it were strong winds limited its coverage because some of the dust blew off.
Hot pepper spray: I mix 1 quart water, 3-4 drops liquid dish soap, 2 tablespoons Cheyenne pepper, 2 tablespoons TABASCO BRAND Original hot sauce. Mix it all together and then run through a coffee filter to remove any chunks that may clog a sprayer. The filtering may take a while but it is well worth the alternative of having a super clogged sprayer.....trust me I know. After filtering spray all around the plant and mist the plant. I have found this will even kill some of the Beetles, I found it highly effective however if it rains you will have to reapply. A side note I should add, stay up wind this mixture is very very strong, again I found out the hard way. Cleaned the sinuses though......
Be practical: Use your head, ask yourself can I take and implement a way to prevent insects from attacking my vines. Netting? I was using grow tubes and what a mess they caused with the Japanese beetles. I then had the light bulb go off. Cover the top of the tube with a nylon or panty hoe, and surround the bottom with soil.
If you have a dozen vines look into some screen to protect your young vines. With Larger vines this may not be possible. But investing a few dollars to build a screen structure may be worth it and you are not using any sprays.
Organic Insecticides: I have used with successful results two different types forms of insect prevention
Tobacco dust: Available at most garden centers, its organic and will keep bugs off your vines. Its high in Nicotine so avoid inhalation, sprinkle it on according to the directions and your plants will be nearly bug free. The only downfall if it rains, the dust will wash off. I also had it were strong winds limited its coverage because some of the dust blew off.
Hot pepper spray: I mix 1 quart water, 3-4 drops liquid dish soap, 2 tablespoons Cheyenne pepper, 2 tablespoons TABASCO BRAND Original hot sauce. Mix it all together and then run through a coffee filter to remove any chunks that may clog a sprayer. The filtering may take a while but it is well worth the alternative of having a super clogged sprayer.....trust me I know. After filtering spray all around the plant and mist the plant. I have found this will even kill some of the Beetles, I found it highly effective however if it rains you will have to reapply. A side note I should add, stay up wind this mixture is very very strong, again I found out the hard way. Cleaned the sinuses though......
CHEMICAL
Chemical Pesticides:
DISCLAIMER: First off I do not endorse any one product more than the other I am sure that all work and each company makes a wonderful product, however the companies and brand names I will mention below are what I have used and I will only offer my personal opinions.
Please read all direction before using any product and follow the recommended mixing rates to a "T". Do not just guess you could poison your plant and further more yourself. Also I recommend before just spraying learning about a new method of IPM or integrated pest management. It was common practice just to spray all year long whether there was problems or not....not the way to do things. One should only spray when a problem presents itself. Michigan state University has some wonderful information about this. Use the link below to find out.
http://www.ipm.msu.edu/
Also I need to note. you should never use the same chemical twice. Bugs, weed, molds,fungi, can become adapt to the spray rendering it worthless. Instead get in the habit if switching between 2 different chemicals. Look at the active ingredients of the sprays they should be two different chemicals. If its just two different name brands they still may both use the same chemicals.
DISCLAIMER: First off I do not endorse any one product more than the other I am sure that all work and each company makes a wonderful product, however the companies and brand names I will mention below are what I have used and I will only offer my personal opinions.
Please read all direction before using any product and follow the recommended mixing rates to a "T". Do not just guess you could poison your plant and further more yourself. Also I recommend before just spraying learning about a new method of IPM or integrated pest management. It was common practice just to spray all year long whether there was problems or not....not the way to do things. One should only spray when a problem presents itself. Michigan state University has some wonderful information about this. Use the link below to find out.
http://www.ipm.msu.edu/
Also I need to note. you should never use the same chemical twice. Bugs, weed, molds,fungi, can become adapt to the spray rendering it worthless. Instead get in the habit if switching between 2 different chemicals. Look at the active ingredients of the sprays they should be two different chemicals. If its just two different name brands they still may both use the same chemicals.
Common Sprays that can be used on grape vines for effective control of adult Japanese beetles.
Sevin: Sevin spray is a name brand spray that has been around for quite some time. It is effective in killing the Beetles and other bugs however I noticed that it will only kill the bugs that are currently on the plant any bug that lands a day or two after you spray will have no problems. This is a major downfall of the spray for use on Japanese beetles
Ortho max: Ortho max is for use on fruit or vegetables, I personally have found it works pretty decent and lasts until the next spray cycle. One nice thing about this setup is no mixing is required. The spray is premixed so less of a chance of contact with you, however a little bit more waste for our environment with the added plastic.
Bonide Fruit Tree Spray: I need to start off by saying I love this spray for controlling just about everything except the Japanese beetle. I found it had very little effect on them. Just like Sevin it will kill the bugs on the plant but does not prevent future bugs. However for molds, fungi, and all other bugs this stuff is AWESOME.
Bayer Season long insect control: I have purchased but have not used this product yet, here is why. The way this product works is you mix it with a water in a watering can per directions then feed your plants with the solution. They in turn drink the water with the chemicals in it and then bugs that attack the plant are killed because the plant is basically poisons to them. Great Idea. However I do have my worries about chemicals and it just seems like it would get into the fruit and not to mention that the warning label clearly says:
"This chemical demonstrates the properties and characteristics associated with chemicals
detected in ground water. The use of this chemical in areas where soils are permeable,
particularly where the water table is shallow, may result in groundwater contamination."
I have a well and when I read this i thought, DO NOT USE. but hey if you have city water or a really deep well, go for it. I would think this product would work very well. But the whole pollution idea scares me.
"This chemical demonstrates the properties and characteristics associated with chemicals
detected in ground water. The use of this chemical in areas where soils are permeable,
particularly where the water table is shallow, may result in groundwater contamination."
I have a well and when I read this i thought, DO NOT USE. but hey if you have city water or a really deep well, go for it. I would think this product would work very well. But the whole pollution idea scares me.
