Pre-preventing Japanese beetles in flowerbed?

[treedimensional]

Yes, prevention is the way to go. I've gotten great results from a single application of Milky Spore.

[2curlydogs]

Jul 1, 2012 7:34:51 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

Yes, prevention is the way to go. I've gotten great results from a single application of Milky Spore.

Single application where? The whole yard? Or just the plants you want to protect?

I ask because last year these little shits ate all the leaves off my grapevine, so it never produced any fruit (they also devoured the linden). This year I've got a good crop of grapes coming in and I'll be pissed if they eat it up again.

But our whole yard is 3/4 acre, so that's a LOT to protect.... Even if I did just the backyard, that's 15,000 sq. ft.

[treedimensional]

The whole yard. Everywhere. You want the material to colonize the soil and kill the grubs. Instructions are on the label; easy to handle and apply. :Y:

[dirtyred]

Ditto the milky spore. We put it down last year (everywhere; lawn, landscape beds, compost pile), and even though the box says it takes a couple of years to get the full effect, I've seen only 3 beetles so far this year.

Pre milky spore, my birch and petunias would have been toast by now.

[2curlydogs]

Jul 1, 2012 13:45:15 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

The whole yard. Everywhere. You want the material to colonize the soil and kill the grubs. Instructions are on the label; easy to handle and apply.

A 20 lb bag for lawn spreader costs $40 and only covers 7000 sq ft. I'd need.... 3-4 bags to cover our yard. Even the $70 40oz box, I'd need 3 of them.

ETA: Should I be encouraged that it's July and I haven't seen any yet? We're in the middle of a drought, so maybe all the fuckers died off.