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Revenge of the Japanese Beetles
Spent a week down in the Outer Banks… came home to find my Cherry Trees and Grape Vines decimated by the late emerging Japanese Beetles. Captured 300+ of the little scarabs in a quick 15 minute picking, then another 100+ an hour and a half later. Yes, traps exist but from what I’ve read and seen they attract more than they trap. We’re going to move ahead with several routine pickings throughout the day and see if it gets back under control. The only question is what can I do the next time we go out of town… … at least the chickens had a good snack.
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Japanese Beetle Update
Beetles definitely love warm and dry weather. Saturday it rained and yesterday was a little cooler with clouds. Both days had very little Beetle activity. Today they are everywhere, oddly they are mostly staying off the Apple/Cherry Trees and instead I’ve finding them on the pine tree, a few odd bushes and as a group of ~20 on the lawn. Beetles definitely attract each other so keeping up the hourly rounds to make sure they don’t become a plague. Side Note: I think tall grass attracts them as well… I’ve fallen a little behind in the mowing, oops.
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Beetle Notes
Wandered out to check on the trees about every hour today to get a better sense of how much of a pest these beetles are. Notes Most Active between the hours of 10 – 5 Japanese Beetles found on: Apple Trees Cherry Trees Rasberries Hanson Cherry Bushes Daisies Sunflowers Sweet Corn Blueberry Bushes (1) Beetles will fall off leaves then fly away if shaken or touched. Soap n Water drowns them and seems easiest way to kill them Spoke with our neighbor and they had a weed that was covered in 50+ beetles but daisies were not touched. We managed to get a good portion of them into my Beetle Jar…
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Attack of the Beetles
Its officially Japanese Beetles season. These things sure are voracious doing some decent damage to my honey crisp. But time to intervene, starting to do multiple rounds with a jar of soapy water. Simply flick them into the jar and let them drown. Our neighbor says her son just grabs them and smashes them on the road. Can’t do it next to the plants as it seems to attract more… We’ll see ho many I collect over the next few weeks. Need to keep the trees healthy if we’re going to get apples in a few years. Might look into traps but I hear that just attracts more beetles in…
