Last year, after the previous several years of taking out JB's with a bucket of soapy water, I tried a repellent experiment that seemed promising. I found a really, really old (circa 1988?) bottle of pet flea repellent in the back of a cupboard. It is called "Green Ban" and is no longer made. The ingredients are finely ground mint, oils of pennyroyal, eucalpyt, and cajuput in a talc base. Apart from talc which we now know can be carcinogenic, the other ingredients seem safe. I thought lightly dusting vulnerable flowers could repel Jbs.

The only candidate for the experiment in the garden is hardy hibiscus because no bees or other pollinators show any interest in the blossoms. Jb's start eating the buds when they are just beginning to form. Last years dusting worked very well so I am trying it again this year. So far, after an initial attack by Jbs, I dusted the buds, and again this year, the Jbs are avoiding the buds. Some Jbs are still eating the outer leaves that are not dusted so those go into the soapy water bucket. Last year it seemed there were fewer Jbs in the garden altogether after the repellent on the extremely limited experimental subjects. The powder doesn't seem to be a desiccant, so the flowers look great.

Anyone interested in trying one of the other pet flea repellents to repel Jbs for a comparative experiment? I'm going to continue using my Green Ban until it is gone.