Dr. Wally

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Products

[Mike’s note: In the interest of full disclosure, bothBonnides and Dr. Earth are advertisers on The Mike Nowak Show. However, like Wally, I heartily endorse these products.]

Dr. Earth Pro-Active™ Home & Garden Insect Spray
Formulated with essential oils and garlic extract to knock down and kill insects quickly, this spray shows results from immediately to several minutes. Dr. Earth Pro-Active™ works to block octopamine neuroreceptors. Octopamine is a chemical neurotransmitter that controls body movement and metabolism in insects and mites. The ingredients in Dr.Earth Pro-Active™ interfere with the transmission of octopamine signals throughout an insect’s body. Interference with these signals leads to metabolic toxicity, immobilization and ultimately death. Garlic extract has also been proven to repel insects for several weeks or longer.

Bon-Neem Insecticidal Soap By Bonide
This is a potassium salt of fatty acids derived from Neem seed oil, 25%. Treat ornamental trees, shrubs, flowers, bedding plants & vegetables.

Japanese Beetle Killer RTU by Bonide
Natural pyrethrum works for quick and easy kill of Japanese Beetles on vegetables, flowers, ornamentals, trees and shrubs

 

 

What Do You Do With a Problem Like . . . Japanese Beetles?

The Beetles are coming,
The Beetles are coming
And not the ones from Liverpool !

Right now Japanese Beetle grubs are pupating into beetles. They've done some turf damage as grubs, and as beetles they consume plant materials. Porphia Japonica are a brilliant metallic green color, oval in shape, about 5/8" long by ¼" wide. The wing covers are copper brown and the abdomen has a row of five tufts of white hairs on each side. The males have a sharp tip on the foreleg tibia while the females have a long rounded tip.

When beetles emerge in June, they begin feeding on growing plants and then move to tree leaves. An adult's life span is 30-45 days. Before they die, females lay eggs which hatch into the notorious lawn grub.

Adult beetles feed on more than 400 species of broadleaved plants, but they prefer about 50 species. Adults skeletonize leafs, eating the tissue between the veins. Attacked leaves are laced and soon wither and die. Beetles also enjoy eating flower bulbs and fruit.

 

Natural/Organic controls for Japanese Beetles

  • Cut your lawns no shorter than 2 ½ inches. Adult beetles prefer to lay their eggs in short grass. If you keep your grass taller, beetles will lay their eggs elsewhere. Mowing tall also gives grasses the ability to develop a strong root system.
  • Cut back on your summer watering. Moist conditions promote the hatching of newly laid eggs by the beetles.
  • Hand pick the beetles and toss them into a bucket of soapy water. A shop vacuum also works well.
    The more beetles you have, the more you'll get. They sense other feeding beetles by pheromones. Beetles can also detect damaged diseased plants or rotting fruits and vegetables. Removing the beetles will decrease damage to plant materials and quantities that will migrate to your yard. By eliminating some of the beetle population, you will assure that there will belfewer grubs to deal with. Female beetles can lay 40 to 60 eggs a piece.

Japanese Beetle traps can attract beetles to your yard from a ½ block away. Avoid using traps unless you're monitoring beetle populations in an orchard or commercial area.

Don’t Panic – Go Organic!

Wally Scmidtke
Pesches Garden Center Manager
www.pesches.com