Does milky spore really work?
cateyanne
14 years ago
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schmoo
14 years agopetzold6596
14 years agoRelated Discussions
Milky Spore Disease questions
Comments (3)Ilene, The story about your mom saving the mole in the coffee can is hysterical. When we first moved here, we had them everywhere. And, we put in a dog door so the dogs and cats could come and go as they pleased. At the time, we had a big, male, black and white cat named Moose who'd grown up in the city, so we didn't necessarily expect him to be good at catching wild animals. Well, Moose brought in a constant supply of dead (and somtimes live!) gophers, moles, voles, baby bunnies and birds through that dog door. Within a few months, you couldn't find any living small animal on our place. He'd bring them in the dog door and then, if the animal was dead, he'd put it in the pantry, and if it was alive, he'd come lay it at your feet. Needless to say, after only a few days of that, I kept the dog door closed 90% of the time. Our son rehabilitated and released many small rabbits that he saved from Moose. After a while, Moose figured out he didn't have to capture and kill his own food supply to stock the pantry. He began to leave the birds alone, but still brought us the occasional gopher or mole. Nowadays, our lazy and well-fed cats keep down the population of field mice and voles, but they don't even bother the birds. Perhaps living with the chickens and guineas has made them less likely to attack song birds. Sometimes the chickens and cats get into a tussle.....usually it is a battle for possession of a frog. I try to get them to leave the frogs alone, but I don't always succeed. When I am digging in the soil, the chickens follow me around, hoping I'll unearth a big, fat, juicy grub for them. Every now and then I'll find one, but every year it seems there are fewer and fewer. I guess if the chickens are eating them, we are disrupting their reproductive capability. Dawn...See MoreAny Milky Spore users?
Comments (17)Milky spore is effective only against JBs, not Oriental beetles or Asiatic garden beetles. All 3 are scarab beetles and are "white grubs" during their in-soil phase. As far as adult JBs flying in, I found this interesting tidbit on the NCSU site: http://www.cropsci.ncsu.edu/turffiles/ag366/ag366.html >When milky spore disease becomes established, it will spread naturally to adjoining, untreated areas. The link below discusses beneficial nematodes, which attack all the scarab beetles. There is a list of suppliers on the page, too. I believe they need to be applied when the grubs are in the soil, not now while they're in the beetle stage. I've used them for black vine weevils under rhodies - that's a little easier because you have to keep them out of direct sunlight until they've penetrated the soil. Here is a link that might be useful: Nematodes, Cornell...See MoreQestions about garden grubs, applying nematodes, milky spore etc
Comments (2)Most beneficial nematode packages contain more than one species. As a matter of fact, both species you mention are extremely similar and are likely to be packaged together along with a few others. Be sure to read and understand with certainty what you are purchasing and that it is intended for grubs. The directions should clearly tell you how many to use in a given amount of space. The label will also tell you that the soil must be warmish (68F is ideal) before you apply these nematodes and that sunlight can kill them. Your soil should be moist in advance, and free from mulch or other debris. You want to apply the nemas directly to the soil surface. Be sure to order your nematodes,fresh, from a reputable source, one that provides plenty of educational information on how to store the nematodes once you receive them, how to apply them, when to apply, how often, etc. Have you found a good place to purchase them, yet? Let us know what you find out....See MoreGrubs.........Milky Spore question...
Comments (35)OK. Personally, I would rather have no lawn, no roses AND no flowers than use things like Grubex and other grub killers, which are TERRIBLE for pets, birds animals & children, water quality and persist in the soil and migrate to others' lawns and air, giving people who don't want those poisons no choice just like second hand smoke except pesticides, much worse. Whoever asked about beneficial nemotodes, they won't survive if you've used Grub-Ex. Milky spore will survive that crap though. I was inundated by Japanese beetles about 4 years ago. First I treated with Milky Spore, next beneficial nematodes (timed it before 3 days of rain, they die if the dry, but they work quickly. I also set some preying mantis babies loose. Last year really only enough Japanese beetles that I could crush them with my fingers and this year nothing. Please, Plaase look at your lawn and love the dandelions and the clover and the natural lawn. Why are people so obsessed with working all summer to get a lawn that looks like a boring green rug. Grow some wildflowers. Love your children and your neighbors' health rather than your boring lawn. Do some research and look at labels before you buy weed killers and pesticides and don't believe the things that Tru-Green (formerly ChemLawn) tells you. The guys that come to treat your lawn have a few weeks training and their bosses are guys with high school educations brainwashed by chemical companies. Think about why you think it is so important to have the "perfect" lawn. Is it because your friends and family won't like you if it isn't perfect. What matters? Here is a link that might be useful: Poison in the Grass...See MoreKimmsr
14 years agotaz6122
14 years agopetzold6596
14 years agoKimmsr
14 years agosas1414
14 years agosas1414
14 years agotaz6122
14 years agoKimmsr
14 years agorhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
14 years agotaz6122
14 years agosas1414
13 years agoechinaceamaniac
13 years agotaz6122
13 years agoKimmsr
13 years agosas1414
13 years agoMichele Bush
3 years agomichele lee
3 years ago
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cateyanneOriginal Author