5

How do I stop these pests - the Japanese beetle, from destroying my lawn? I have tried the nematodes - they did not work. I don't want to use pesticides. thanks

lina
  • 51
  • 1
  • Lina we need a picture and more information. How do you know this is Japanese Beetle? Please let's ID your problem more closely. There is a Bt that is meant for beetles, I am not sure if it is for sale as yet (30 years later). Hey, Milky Spore is another name for Bacillus thuringiensis – stormy Aug 02 '18 at 00:54
  • Where are you in the world and precisely when did you try the nematodes, that is, what date? – Bamboo Aug 02 '18 at 01:27
  • 1
    CHICKENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! – black thumb Aug 02 '18 at 04:22
  • https://www.planetnatural.com/pest-problem-solver/lawn-pests/japanese-beetle-control/ Now Chickens would be wonderful to have on your lawn and beds. Nematodes aren't a quick fix, but they will be a noticeable predator next year. – stormy Aug 02 '18 at 05:19
  • I like the chickens idea the most. Why don't you want to use pesticides? I mean if you really wanted them gone you would use pesticides. – Rob Aug 02 '18 at 21:18

1 Answers1

2

Use Bacillus popilliae, Milky Spore. It usually comes as a powder which you inject into the lawn in a pattern like the 5-spot on a pair of dice. The bacteria moves outward into the soil from each injection point until completely inhabiting the soil. This can take two or three years, during which time you can still have Japanese beetle grubs in your lawn - with decreasing numbers each year. Once the bacteria has completely moved into the soil, you will not have Japanese beetle grubs for about 10 years.

Typically, you can buy the injector with the milky spore; sometimes, it's offered free of charge. The ones I used to sell were three-feet long so that you didn't have to bend to inject the spores.

Here's a little info on milky spore (note: I do not endorse this company - I just found it during a web search).: https://www.planetnatural.com/product/milky-spore-powder/

I had a coworker at a nursery who used milky spore in his lawn (very sandy soil) and it worked great for him.

Jurp
  • 19,134
  • 1
  • 16
  • 37
  • What do you mean when you say fungus from each injection point? The 'toxin' is simply the by product of this bacteria. Are the bacteria producing fungal spores? – stormy Aug 02 '18 at 00:59
  • Sounds like a great solution, the spores are actually from Gram-positive bacteria. So they are not spores from fungi. – benn Aug 02 '18 at 09:16
  • @Stormy - the Milky Spore I'm most familiar with is injected via a hollow tube into the lawn. – Jurp Aug 02 '18 at 11:03
  • 2
    @Stormy and b.nota - Yeah, the spores are from bacteria, not fungus, something that I actually knew but I had a brain fart when writing the answer. My microbiologist wife shook her head at me in disbelief when I'd told her that I'd called a bacillus a fungus. I've edited my answer to correct this error. Thanks for the correction. – Jurp Aug 02 '18 at 11:08
  • @Jurp Don't worry, you are human and by the way not the ONLY one around here who has brain farts! Microbiologist wife? Grins! Does she have a great microscope? Does she work with the electron microscope? I was in microbiology for a couple of years, I love LOVE the world under a scope! – stormy Aug 02 '18 at 21:00
  • I was just thinking this would be a good time to hire a couple of moles. I am not kidding. There are usually just one or two moles to a lawn, they kick out moochers and their progeny. They gobble up grubs, aerate and topdress your lawn. All one needs to do is knock down the hills and rake into the grass. – stormy Aug 02 '18 at 21:09
  • @lina Like Black Thumb said, chickens. Now those you could hire and put on your lawn as well! Eat grubs and fertilize at the same time? What type of mower are you using and what type of lawn grass do you have? If you are cutting your grass with a reel type mower we need to get you a new rotary type mower. – stormy Aug 02 '18 at 21:32
  • Don't cut your grass any lower than 3" (cool season type grasses). Rotary mowers act like a vacuum cleaner sucking up adults but don't lower the deck keep it as high as you can. You want healthy vigorously growing grass to compete with the grubs who are eating the crowns of your grasses. The more topgrowth the healthier and deeper those roots get. Also, only water when you see your foot prints on the lawn. Tell us what your maintenance habits are; have you ever used a non specific pesticide on your lawn to kill those beetles? That kills the normal insect controls and grubs will go wild. – stormy Aug 02 '18 at 21:41