Loaded with buds about to open, and the Japanese Beetles arrived

15 years ago

2 weeks early. I'm heartsick. Just heartsick. This was going to be my best flush ever. I wondered why MaryRose stopped blooming just days after she started. The SOBs have already started attacking her. I know there's nothing I can do but sit back and watch them detroy everything I worked for. =*( We live in an area that gets heavily infested, so nothing stops or even contains them. I know there's nothing anyone can suggest, but I knew you folks would understand how defeated and sad I am right now. If they had just waited and came after the flush, I'd have been pissed off but at least I would have had my flush. I am just so disappointed.

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Comments (13)

buford
15 years ago
If it was me, I'd still spray any of the buggers I saw.

I don't have many blooms and am picking off about 4-5 a day and stomping on them. I usually don't get them attacking the buds. But I did find an earwig that had fouled about 5 buds on my Mary Rose. Disgusting thing. I knocked it off and smashed it with a rock.
alisande
15 years ago
Mehearty, if I were you I'd treat the lawn with milky spore. My DH did it a long time ago, and it kept the JBs away for 15 years. It won't help you this year, and as I recall it was a pretty expensive project, but it certainly was a success.

I'm hoping someone will pop in with advice for you for this year, because I can't afford to do the milky spore again and I know I'll be overrun with them.

My sympathy on this year's flush.
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Hi Peggy:) I usually change the bag every 4 days. The box said to change it at 5 days so the beetles aren't repelled by the odor of dead beetles. I like to change it when the bottom part of the bag is about half full though. I am afraid of going to that 5th day and the 'lure disk' luring them to my yard but then they are repelled by the scent of the dead bettles and head straight for my garden:( This is my 1st year growing veggies but I know the traps worked wonders when I used to grow insane amounts of flowers:) I will post as the summer goes on if the trap continues to do the job of keeping them away from the garden. My garden is rather small so I just have one trap set 30 feet downwind of the garden. I think the field across the road would be a great option if you chose that route. Cut them off before they get to your house:)
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Thanks, buford. I think I've bugged enough people about beetle problems for today, will give it a rest. I'm so confused at this point, I don't want to ask any more questions, don't know if the ext guy can help or not. He told me to take the traps down, but when I asked if the beetles would disburse now that I've already drawn many, he didn't know. Beetles miss the traps, and traps only trap part of the beetles you attract, grub control spring and fall plus supplemental with Merit or similar, several chemicals, sprayers, spreaders, additives so what you spray will adhere, and that doesn't cover those that are in the neighbors' yards totally untreated whether I trap or not. Read some more, think I will move the trap in the back yard if I have to put a nail in the wood trim on the big, wide metal door, single-car garage (ground too hard many places to sink my shepherd's hook I bought, or just get rid of it, or take it down and cover it well, and wait and see. So many other choices. Plus the traps I am using, the beetles they draw will stop and feed on plants in the flight path, don't like that. Ag guy told me a week ago that all the neighbors have to put up traps for them to be effective, and they would be facing the same problem I am, too much shade, small yards, lots of trees and shrubs, no roses in the block I'm aware of. But once you have them in any numbers, you have to do something or they will totally destroy some plants, even feed on the underside of leaves, haven't been looking there. My clump of birches in front may have been attracting them all along, never saw any on lower leaves, most limbs have had to be trimmed off, but no telling how high they could be in those tall things, and they feed from the top down. I didn't ask any more questions, just summarized a PORTION of what I googled. The useful link is for KY, not my state, but lists the plants definitely attacked and those relatively free of adult beetles. Here is a link that might be useful: Managing adult beetles, U KY Coll. of AG, ext. entomologist
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Yes Cass I do realize that the weather is very different over there! Cold winters and more windy than here. And it is way more hot May-September than here (90F is a sweltering heatwave here and about as hot as it ever gets). I really need to choose hardy roses (No teas and chinas will survive those winters!!) And HTs will struggle, but are possible in sheltered areas and with winter protection. On the other hand there is so much more sunlight than here (latitude of Davenport, IA is the same as Rome or Cote D Azur in Southern Europe (only the winters are cold inland climate!). I have always wondered why roses get so much bigger in FX Chicago (I see 5-6 feet tall bushy HTs and Floribundas. (Temps are often 12F higher in urban areas, so zone 5 is not just zone 5) But it must be the higher amount of sunlight. If I look at a map and compare latitude to here We get the same amount of sunlight they get 750 miles north of Chicago. (In the Manitoba province of Canada). (We are however blessed with the mild climate because of the Gulfstream and the surrounding sea, but high pressure sends Russian extremely cold temps our way and the temps often drops below -15F. One thing I always take advantage of is the micro climate when choosing roses. Roses near house walls will suffer less frost damage than roses further away from the house. A patio like that on the picture makes it possible to grow roses that are hardy to zone higher than recommended, because of the heat reflection. So I know I have to choose roses for zone 4-5 (and 6 in protected sheltered areas. Devon, It sure would be nice to move to California. But real estate prices there are out of our league! I spotted a beautiful "Prairie Flower" "A Hawkeye Belle...in Iowa ... that is the attraction there.... No I did not "Create" the informal gardens in the pictures. They are just pictures of the style I like and I keep in my collection of gardens that inspire me and the clients I work for. The blue structure in the background of the first picture is a patio deck. It takes time for a garden to mature and most of the gardens I have done lately will take a few years before I will go take pictures of them, since it is important to have pictures of my work. I already have a lot of work maintaining some of the gardens I have done.
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Oh no.....if they just arrived in southern VT that means they will be here any day now. And I was just telling my husband that I wonder if the JB's were killed off by the severe drought we had since I hadn't seen any yet and they are always here on the 4th of July. I guess it was too much of a miracle to ask for. We always have them by the hundreds and my yard is like a giant smorgasbord with all my botanical selections for their dining pleasure. They will probably stop here and not go any further north since there is so much to eat.....so Edward up in Nova Scotia probably is safe....LOL
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barbarag_happy
15 years ago
I am out there with the bucket of soapy water AND I've also treated with milky spore. I am thankful that some of my favorites (Sea Foam, The Fairy, Sweet Chariot) aren't bothered at all. But oboy, Night Owl, Playboy and the rugosas are being devoured. We have a very long growing season here but I still resent losing six weeks (? or more, izzit?) to the JB's. I think the drought has reduced our population somewhat, but it could just be my goodwill tour of the neighborhood talking everyone out of putting out those *()(***#### JB traps.
mehearty
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you guys. Earwigs. *shudder* We do Grub-X in the spring and fall, and it may help a wee bit. The beetles I saw this am, I squished with my fingernails. I'm squeamish about bugs, but these little f*****rs will pay for their crimes against my roses.

I am just so sad to see them at this point in the season.
judith5bmontreal
15 years ago
I'm so sorry to hear about your JB infestation. I can just imagine how sick you are. It's not just a few roses, but all of them! My sympathies.
Judith
organic_kitten
15 years ago
My area gets heavily infested too, but I refuse to allow them to take it all! I have my bucket of soapy water and I am an aggressive at shaking and drowning all throughout the day. True, I can't save them all, and I have only a small rose garden, but they can't have them. The darn beetles arrived here June 10th. I cut roses every time as the bud just begins to open, and I have not got nearly so many repeat beetle "visitors" as I have had in the past.

They may get the crepe myrtles...they may get the blackberries...they are not getting my roses!

I can't leave the buds on the bush after they open, but I have bouquets all over the house. They're mine and I WILL have them, not the SOB beetles!

In reality, if I weren't off from work right now (tore the meniscus in my knee and had to have it scoped) I wouldn't have a prayer of winning this battle.

Kay
mehearty
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you for understanding, everyone. I've been anxiously waiting for the flush like all rosarians, and to see those little devils "doing it" on MaryRose, made my heart just sink. I just needed a gardener's cyber hug. **sniff**

Kay I hope your knee recovers soon. Tell your dh that your boyfriend sent you the roses. =P
athenainwi
15 years ago
That's so awful. I hope they aren't early here. They last for long enough as it is without them waking up early.
diane_nj 6b/7a
15 years ago
Really? They must have jumped over a few states, nothing here yet (knocks on forehead)...

I would try Milky Spore. Just to make sure the ones in the immediate area are taken care of. So sorry!
mary1nys
15 years ago
I just saw my first one on Sharifa Asma.Just one. I don't usually see my first one til around 4th of July! Grrrrrr!
mehearty
Original Author
15 years ago
We've had some funky weather, so everything except the roses are ahead. I even saw some buds on my mums today. =-O The hibiscus started forming flower buds last week which is crazy. I should have known those little stinkers would be here before July 4th.
phylrae
15 years ago
Saw my first few today...ditto what Mary just said. So sorry, mehearty. At home I can drown them before and after work, but in our church garden, I can't. That's when I get the angriest! :0( Phyl
alisande
15 years ago
Yeah, soapy water sure beats giving in and letting them take over. Even if you can't keep up with the sheer numbers, there's a certain satisfaction in dumping out a container of floaters. Well, lots of containers of floaters . . .

Loaded with buds about to open, and the Japanese Beetles arrived

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buford

alisande

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Loaded with buds about to open, and the Japanese Beetles arrived

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