I planted a crop of edamame (soybeans) and every time I visit the garden, there are dozens ... maybe even hundreds of these beetles eating the leaves. They haven't eaten anything else in my garden so far, except a few nearby green beans. I've been shaking them off or squashing them, but it seems that my efforts are in vain.
Is anyone else having this problem? At this point I'm considering getting some kind of mesh fabric to drape over the plants to create a physical barrier, since I don't want to use any chemicals on my food. Any tips would be appreciated!
Hi Holly,
ReplyDeleteI saw a lot of Japanese beetles on some flowers in the plot closest to the parking lot at Harrison. I have had them on my roses at home for several years too. I tried a pheromone trap that attracts them and catches them in a plastic bag. It definitely causght a lot of beetles, but it didn't seem to reduce the damage to my flowers. I think it may have just attracted more beetles to my yard. If anyone has a good remedey, I'll try it too.
Best,
Jim
bring a container of soapy water with you and knock the beetles into it. You won't attract more of them and this kills them.
ReplyDeleteI've already done the soapy water a few times and they just keep coming back.
ReplyDeleteI think once a pest like this is dominant, it's just too hard to beat. I like your idea to selctively cover the crops you care the most about, then accept the damage to the rest. Maybe next year we can try to set out pheremone traps at least 50 feet from the garden a week before they are expected to emerge here. More info on local pests at http://www.extension.umn.edu/topics.html?topic=5&subtopic=167
ReplyDeleteI decided to try putting netting over the plants. One of the cheapest options I found was a mosquito net that is made to go over a baby's crib. It was the right shape and size to cover the plants, it has elastic along the bottom, and was only about $7 from amazon.com. I went to the garden yesterday and squished all the beetles before covering the edamame completely. Within a few minutes the beetles were back, but they weren't able to get in to the plants! I'm hoping there are enough leaves left that it will rebound. It's not a pretty solution, but if it's not a decorative plant, this might be the way to go.
ReplyDelete