Three days ago, a horde of rapacious Japanese Beetles launched a massive attack on my new and thriving raised-bed Zinnia garden. The tin man was useless.
The damage was swift and shocking; I thought at least half of the plants were dying or dead., there were holes in each one.
I decided to fight back, as I tend to do. First, I picked about 25 off the leaves and tossed them in a jar, and then out to the chickens, who enjoyed them.
The chickens can be surprisingly savage when they encounter beetles.
Then I went online and researched the dozens of Japanese Beetle remedies, almost all of them too complex or expensive for me. I got a ton of advice online (thank you), which I appreciated.
One of the remedies caught my eye – it was for Safers Brand Insecticidal Soap. This spray is natural and approved for organic gardens.
It worked. The next day, all the Japanese Bettles were gone, and none of them came back. I’m cautiously declaring victory.
I also bought a beetle trap on Amazon as a fallback; I’ll keep it on hand just in case.
I just went out to the raised Zinnia bed before writing this. The garden is clear of beetles and surging again.
It’s a bit early to declare total victory, but I think I’ve beaten them back for now. Thanks for all your support and ideas; I’m happy to join the club of gardeners, a community all of its own. They definitely come running when you need them, and their advice is solid; I got a dozen good options.
My 4-H zinnias were different. Like these https://greenseedgarden.com/product/25-colors-zinnia-seeds-perennial-flowering-plants-potted-charming-chinese-flowers-seeds-100-pcs-pack-stunning-blooms-balcony/?wmc-currency=USD&gclid=Cj0KCQjwiqWHBhD2ARIsAPCDzanMrV6O7IL25qpa2czExRrlo4OTqAhKMQ57zL8iBs_1Hxdk66J87fMaArDxEALw_wcB
Why are your petals more feathery?
Beetle traps are great. They certainly lure the “little buggers” in. Just don’t put the trap near any plant that you don’t want infested. The lure seems very potent. We’ve had some years where we’ve actually collected them in 5 gallon buckets. I think we saved the entire neighborhood:-)
Some years ago we had 2 years ravaged by Japanese beetles, and the whole city = ditto.
In our experience the beetle traps attracted more than they killed. We ended by spraying with ordinary household fly killer and then covering our rose hedge in old muslin curtains, fastened down with clothes pegs–success, of a kind. When the the beetles receded (after 2 years) we had prevented most of them from living long enough to mate and go underground to produce eggs and grubs.
Meanwhile they had enjoyed our crepe myrtle and fruit trees, when in blossom. They really were quite hateful and I feel so sorry for you in this battle. They do seem rather like locusts must be; a sudden great appearance and then tapering off in a second year.
https://www.arbico-organics.com/ Milky Spore: Organic & safe for everything and everybody, benign and long-lasting. Removes the problem, naturally kills the nematode that assaults your plants. As a nuisance wildlife control operator practicing to do no harm to any wildlife I have found Milky Spore the answer to the striped skunk digging up your lawn and in so applying also rids your habitat of the nefarious beetle too through bacterial assistance. No harm to the beneficial skunk and allows your garden and trees to flourish at the same time.