Grubs.........Milky Spore question...
snc299
17 years ago
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Comments (35)
yarddoctor
17 years agoturtlepie
17 years agoRelated Discussions
My Santaka Seeds have mold spores?
Comments (2)Too wet and too warm = mold growth and mold spores are in the air all around us so no telling where they came from. I'd go ahead and plant the seeds in your germination mix and assuming you keep proper moisture levels they should still germinate. If you are generally happy with this method of germination that's fine. Personally I find it more troublesome than the normal approach. Dave...See MoreBest time to use Milky Spore?
Comments (9)I copied and pasted the FAQ here for those who don't want to go to the FAQ webpage. BTW, Many questions can be answered simply by Googling. MILKY SPORE Frequently Asked Questions: . 1. How fast does the Spore work and how long does it last? Milky Spore begins working as soon as it is applied as long as grubs are feeding. Once grubs are infected they will multiply the Spore by several billion times and spread it further. In warm climates good control can occur in one to three years. In colder areas like New England, three to five years. Once established in a lawn, Milky Spore has been known to last 15 to 20 years. 2. Will freezing ruin the Spore? What about heavy rain? No, Milky Spore is not affected by freezing or other adverse environmental conditions. Heavy rain may wash away newly applied Spore dust necessitating retreatment. 3. Will fertilizer or chemical pesticides that have dursban and diazinon in them affect Spore? Dursban and diazinon have been banned by the EPA as toxic to the environment. Milky Spore is safe for the environment and is not affected by pesticides, fungicides or herbicides. They may be applied at the same time. 4. Can I use it in the vegetable garden? Yes, Milky Spore is harmless to food crops. It is not a chemical pesticide. It may be used in gardens, around pools and wells. 5. Should we keep our pets off the lawn? Milky Spore does not affect pets, beneficial insects, fish, bees, birds, other animals, plants, or man. It is not a poison. 6. Can I mix the Spore with water and spray it? Neither the Milky Spore powder nor the Milky Spore Spreader mix should be mixed with water and sprayed. 7. Can I cut my grass after applying the Spore? Do not mow or rake your yard until Milky Spore has been soaked into the soil. 8. What if I treat my yard and my neighbor doesnt? Your lawn will be protected even if you are surrounded by untreated property. Eventually, the Spore will creep next door into adjacent areas by natural movement. 9. WonÂt beetles fly in from my neighborÂs yard? An adult beetle feeds only during itÂs first two weeks. By the time they fly in from adjacent areas, any new grubs laid in late Summer will be affected by the Spore. 10. What about Moles? Eliminating grubs with Milky Spore often cause Moles and Skunks to feed elsewhere. Unfortunately, they may head for your neighborÂs untreated yard instead. Milky Spore does not affect moles, it simply eliminates their food source. 11. Can I have too many grubs? If you are rapidly losing your lawn due to too many grubs, more than 10 per square foot, you may be wise to use an insecticide along with Milky Spore. 12. How do I know if I have beetle grubs? Grubs feed on the roots of your grass which can become brown and die. Simply lift the dead grass and look for white larvae curled into the shape of a "C" about the size of a penny. Active grubs can completely destroy a lawn. Use Milky Spore for safe, long-lasting control. 13. Do beetle larvae feed more aggressively in Fall? Yes, grubs in fall are in the first instar stage and are feeding for growth to store body fat for winter. In the spring, grubs reach 3rd instar prior to molting and do not require as much food. 14. Are grubs infected by Milky Spore in spring when rising to the surface following hibernation? Grubs become infected by swallowing a spore. They do not become infected by rubbing up against spores or passing through them. Since grubs feed less in Spring, the incidence of infection is not as great as in fall. 15. What are the application rates for Milky Spore? Milky Spore Powder in cans is a one time application put down in spots in measuring teaspoon amounts every four feet apart creating a checkerboard pattern of spots throughout your yard. Each spot contains 100 million spores. Milky Spore Spreader Mix in bags is applied with a drop spreader over every square foot of grass and requires applications in Spring, Summer and Fall for two years to build the number of spores in any one area to millions of spores. 16. Can I broadcast the Spreader mix? No, Milky Spore Spreader Mix is too light to be used with a broadcast spreader. It must be placed in concentrated areas on the lawn and that is why it must be used with a drop spreader. 17. Can I wait to water in the Spore? Yes, you can wait 36 to 48 hours before watering in the Spore. Make sure you water the Spore before raking or mowing your lawn. The whole idea is to soak the Spore into the soil where it will become available to grubs feeding on the roots of grass. Simply use an oscillating hose sprayer for 15 to 20 minutes over the entire treated area. There may still be some white residue but this is chalk used as carrier for the spores. 18. What is the difference between the Spreader mix and the powder? The main difference is that in using the six part spreader mix program you are essentially spreading the spore over an entire lawn rather than in concentrated areas. In doing this the number of spores in any one location is significantly less than the concentrated spot method. Grubs become infected by swallowing a spore and this occurs by happenstance when feeding on grass roots. The more spores in a given area, the greater chance for infection. Each infected grub dies and releases 3 billion new spores into the soil. How do I know if I have Japanese Beetle Grubs? St. Gabriel Laboratories provides a free grub analysis for itÂs customers. SEE MILKY SPORE MAIN PAGE FOR FULL INSTRUCTIONS ON SENDING IT TO US. 20. What is the shelf life of Milky Spore? The older the Spore, the more effective it becomes. 21. What if I get Milky Spore in my eyes? What if I breathe it in? Milky Spore itself is not toxic. However, Milky Spore contains chalk and a powder carrier. Care should be taken not to get any dust in one's eyes as it is an irritant....See MoreMerit or Milky Spore?
Comments (10)Merit is a very broad spectrum and potent poison that will kill most all of the soil life you have, although there are some of the target population that are immune to this product. Since this is such a broad spectrum poison it should only be considered for use as an absolute last resort poison. Milky Spore Disease, Bacillus popilliae, is a specific control for members of the scarab beetle family and only affects them at certain, early stages in their life and does not adversly affect the health of any other insect as Merit does. A start to growing plants that are not affected by insect pests as much as yours are is to contact your local office of the University of Connecticut USDA Cooperative Extension Service about a good, reliable soil test and then dig in with these simple soil tests to see what you have and what you need to do to get there; 1) Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer you soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. Plants growing in a good, healthy soil are less susceptible to insect pests and diseases. Here is a link that might be useful: UCONN CES...See MoreImportant Info RE OE Spores & Monarchs
Comments (0)Important Info RE OE & Monarchs! Posted by tdogmom on Tue, May 2, 2006 Okay folks, I got a response from Dr. Sonia Altizer, an expert on Monarchs, from U of Georgia. Several people have asked questions about using a 2% bleach solution to cleanse OE spores when working with Monarchs. I asked her some of those key questions and here is what she said. I paraphrased and summarized her reply to each question. 1. Is it possible to clean Milkweed plants while they are in the ground (planted MW plants)? This is NOT recommended. Spraying wild plants growing out in the field with 2% Chlorox is not very effective against the tough OE spore walls. An alternative is the following: Take Milkweed cuttings (clip the stalks) and soak them in a basin in 10-15% Chlorox for 20 minutes. Then, soak them in regular tap water for the same amount of time and rinse well. The cuttings can then be placed in florist tubes (plant picks) and fed to the caterpillars. Dr. Altizer has found that if the leaves are rinsed well in tap water, they can be fed safely to Monarch larvae. 2. If you find a lot of OE in the Monarchs raised, it is possible that the spores are on your plants. What is another way you can eliminate or reduce the OE on the Milkweed? To reduce spore loads on plants, cut the stalks (or mow these down) to within a few inches of the ground. New material that grows back should have fewer spores on it, especially if kept away from infected adult butterflies. If necessary, use netting to keep the butterflies off the plants. Presumably a heavy rain or a strong hosing with water can also wash off a large portion (but not all) of the parasite spores. Dr. Altizer also recommends growing native milkweed species as opposed to the tropical species, as most of the native species naturally die back during the winter months, and hence would accumulate fewer parasite spores. 3. Can you use a bleach solution to cleanse Monarch eggs of OE? How safe is this and is it effective? This approach is NOT recommended as bleaching the eggs has NOT been found to be a satisfactory method of elminating OE. The concentration of bleach needed to kill the OE spores can also damage the egg chorion. A method to try to rescue some potentially contaminated eggs is to remove them from the Milkweed they're on (the contaminated Milkweed) and transfer them to a clean Milkweed leaf. This will reduce the potential number of spores the caterpillar might ingest. 4. What about the use of the commercially prepared OE spore spray? She was not familiar with the Educational Sciences product. Her exact words, "I'm not familiar with this product so cannot make an educated comment, except to say that there are probably cheaper, easier, safer and more effective methods available than using a commercial spray -- and definitely would not advocate widespread dissemination of a product such as this into the environment. 5. Is there a way to test the Milkweed plant itself for OE spore contamination? She felt this was a good question and thought that perhaps this could be done similarly to the way OE is tested on the Monarch butterflywith a swab, tape, etc. I think that her answers were very clear. I also felt good because personally, I have always been concerned when reading about people using bleach to clean their butterfly eggs. It is reassuring that someone who does a lot of research corroborates my own thinking and methods. :) So, take it for what its worth--CalSherry aka tdogmom....See Morejoepyeweed
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