How do I get rid of the Japanese Beetles that are eating my blackberries?
Question:I love my huge blackberry patch. Every few days I can go down and get a whole mixing bowl full of beautiful berries. however, the past few times I've gone to pick I've had to fight the beetles for the berries. Does anyone know how to get rid of them without chemicals? My kids like to eat the berries straight from the bush so I don't want them eating 7 dust or any of the like but I just can't stand all these bugs flying around my head while I'm trying to pick my fruit.
Answers:
Well Neem Oil, which is actually a vegetable oil from the Indian Neem Tree might be your answer. It is non-toxic to humans and mammals and best of all bugs hate it.
Garden and lawn centers carry Japanese Beatle Traps. They work but i think they are a little expensive.
Japanese beetle traps. I use 2 a yr on my sweet corn. They work wonders and food I get to pick out weighs the cost. But $8.00 ain't that much.
The most active control is against the larvae in the soil. Parasitic nematodes kill immature Japanese beetles if applied in the turf and to warm, moist soil around your berries. May and June is the best time to apply because in about July the adults begin to lay their eggs in the soil. Commercially made traps can attract and capture many adult beetles. But don't place the traps too near your berries-because it will attract the Beetles to that area. But you can also knock and beat the adults off your plants onto a sheet or tray and then dispose of them in soapy water-do this in the early morning in the cool of the day from June through September. The most important thing is to control them at the larvae stage
You can get traps. The beatle bags, but lord i did that one year and i must of attracted a million jap beatles. so if you do that keep it far from your house and plants. but also i am not a fan of chemicals on plants. what i do is take dish soap, just a little with water in a spray bottle and pray all my plants in the garden. Works like a charm. Bugs hate it and the plants love it. i do it every day. The rain washes off residue, and when i water does the same. My mother acually takes her left over dish water and throws it on her garden. works for her too.
They hate garlic. Someone on the gardenweb forum found a garlic-flavored olive oil spray in their cupboard and lightly sprayed their basil plants with it, & it got rid of the beetles.
Garlic Spray:
6 cloves of garlic
1 minced onion
1tsp pure soap (not detergent)
1 gallon hot water
Blend & let sit for 1 - 2 days. Strain & use as spray. Start with only 2 cloves of garlic & increase the amount until you find what works best.
Ground cayenne or red hot pepper can also be sprinkled on the leaves of plants (apply when leaves are slightly damp) to repel chewing insects or added to the planting hole with bone meal or fertilizer to keep squirrels, chipmunks, dogs and other mammals away from your gardens. Be sure to reapply after rain.
Long-term prevention for Japanese Beetles is biological controls such as beneficial nematodes or a product called "milky spore," which attack the grubs, and prevent recurrence for years.
Try this all-purpose spray:
2 Tbsp. mild liquid soap
2 Tbsp vegetable cooking oil
1 gallon water
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