Japanese beetles on grapes

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Am looking for any and all info. regarding an organic / country remedy for preventing/removing Japanese beetles from grape vines. Have tried a couple of Hot pepper concoctions that were not very successful. Perhaps my mixing skills were amiss, or applications inadequate, who knows? As Spring is grudgingly arriving here in Western N.Y. am anxious to hear what will come from this vast country braintrust!!!

-- Dan Baker (dcbaker@2ki.net), April 12, 2000

Answers

I would like to know the answer too! We had or rather tried to grow grapes at our other place but couldn't find a successful way to get rid of the Japanese Beetles. Grapes and roses must be their favorite things! I have not planted grapes here for that very reason but would sure love to. We tried the beetle traps but they just seemed to draw more beetles. Our farm is too big to treat for the grubs and like you, I'd like to find an organic method for getting rid of them. They are tough!

-- barbara (barbaraj@mis.net), April 13, 2000.

This is the 64000 dollar question. My grapes seem to be a magnet for Japanese beetles. I've tried various pepper/cayenne/soap decoctions with no luck. I hope someone has an answer, the only thing I've found that works is Sevin and I hate using it.

-- Robert (STBARB@usa.net), April 13, 2000.

Guess I'll jump in too! Same problem! But my grapes are not near any of my other crops, and I am not adamantly organic. I prefer it, but I am not as freaked-out by chemicals as some. Don't get me wrong - I don't use anything non-organic when I feel it is not sensible, but I am not a purist. I use water-soluble fertilizers, such as Miracle-gro, and Rapid-gro, as supplements. My basic plant food is poultry and piggie manure, but not exclusively. I also use "natural" "bad guy" deterrents or killers when possible, but do resort to Sevin for the Japs on my grapes. This zaps them pretty well, but if anyone knows a better, safer approach, please let us all know! Thanks, and GL!

-- Brad (homefixer@mix-net.net), April 15, 2000.

Garden way 812 537 8650 ,carry a # of products for the beetles, parasitic nematodes,traps,ect and they are organic. you could also check www.arbico.com as they are also a intergrated pest managment company to.

-- kathy h (saddlebronc@msn.com), April 16, 2000.

Once saw in a garden magazine a vacum which vacums the bugs up,A shop vac or dust buster hand held might also work.

-- kathy h (saddlebronc@msn.com), April 18, 2000.


Japanese beetles ARE a plague! I hand pick them 2 or 3 times a day when they 're at their worst, dropping them into a coffee can about 2/3 full of water with 1/2 inch of vegetable oil on top. The oil coating insures that they'll die, and I think it improves their taste - I feed the dead beetles to the chickens and they seem to like them better than live ones. The pheromone traps do attract more than they capture, so they must be placed at some distance from your vines (1000 ft or so?). (Give your neighbors beetle traps for Christmas.) Milky spore disease is not effective unless the entire area is treated - expensive! Starlings and moles eat the grubs.

-- Sam Norris (snorris@dnr.state.wv.us), April 19, 2000.

They love corn and marigolds and zinnias and okra and green beans and sunflowers and raspberries. I did the same as Sam, handpick and feed to the chickens, literally thousands. Rotonone powder helps if you use enough.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony@yahoo.com), April 19, 2000.

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