zdawgnight
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Japanese beetles are ravaging my plants!!!!!

Need help desperately! Japanese beetles are beating the junk out of my basil plants. What can I do to stop them? I tried one of those beetle bags that catch them but it isnt working well enough... PLEASE HELP!

zdawgnight
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no suggestions?

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rainbowgardener
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start by typing Japanese Beetles in to the Keyword Box that comes up when you click on Search the Forum in the black horizontal menu above. You will get 278 hits. You can type in Japanese beetle control and get 21 hits. Tons written here already about them.

And have a little patience! You only posted this a little more than two hours ago and you are already nudging us about no response?!

zdawgnight
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I actually originally posted 3 days ago so I don't really get how I am being inpatient.

I did do research but I appreciate the lesson on how searching works. I would agree that perhaps I should have given more information but I was in a hurry, frustrated and hoping for a lot of ideas.
I only have about 10 feet of growing space on my balcony, so a pheromone trap is out of the question, and if I'm not mistaken, neem oil doesn't prevent the beetles from damaging the plant it kills them after eating the plant. Since I need the leaves to make sure of the basil this seems like a poor option.

So if I may ask the question again what can I do to stop them? I looked on the aphis website after being accused of not doing an fair amount of research, and I am not seeing a ton of options. How do those growing basil stop japanese beetles from taking down thier plants (assuming you have problems with the bugs).

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rainbowgardener
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sorry, I missed the date. I hadn't seen this post before and I am on here every day, so I assumed it was new. Don't know how I missed it before.

Yes the Neem oil doesn't kill on contact and it does take a little while to work, but in a few days your problem should be a lot less. So you sacrifice a few more leaves to get rid of the problem...

The JB's aren't hard to hand pick, especially since you are just talking about a balcony's worth. If you shake the plant, they fall down. Have a bag open under where they are sitting and they will fall right into it. Close the bag quick. Then you can dump then in to a bowl of soapy water, where they will swim around for awhile and eventually drown.

(From the below article:

For easier handpicking : In the morning spread out a sheet under infested plants. Shake the plants and the beetles will fall onto the sheet. Dump them into a bucket of soapy water. Dew on their wings in the morning keeps them from flying away. The cooler air also makes them more lethargic.)

The article I referenced in an earlier thread about them

https://www.ghorganics.com/JapaneseBeetle.html

has this:

"Japanese Beetle Trap and Bait
The following bait and trap method is to be used during the height of the Japanese Beetle season.

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 mashed banana
1 pkg yeast

Dissolve sugar and yeast in the water. Mix the well maxhed banana into the sugar water. Put all ingredients in a gallon milk jug. Place the jug (with the top off) in an area where Japanese Beetles gather. The fermentation and odor of the bait attracts the beetles which get in but not out."

But anything that acts as a lure for them, should be placed away from the plants they are bothering, not next to them.

I do grow lots of basil and I have never seen a JB on it, but that's probably because I have lots of things in my garden they prefer. They love the wild grape vine that grows as a weed in my yard.

Above article lists these as trap crops for them:

Trap crops for the beetles are African marigold, borage, evening primrose (oonthera), four o'clocks, knotweed, soybeans, white roses, white and pastel zinnias, wild grapes and blackberries.

I know you have only a balcony, but it seems like even so you could plant a marigold in a pot and/ or plant a grape vine to grow up a balcony pole.

this should give you some places to start..

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rainbowgardener
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check out the (currently) very last post in this long thread, re JB's

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8520&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15

zdawgnight
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Thank you rainbowgardener for the details, I will be making preparations this weekend. What has really been frustrating is that my basil is flowering (which I wanted to happen so I could collect seeds for next year), and the beetles seem to have done enough damage to prevent the flowers from keeping. Would it be possible that JB's are attracted by the flowers? It seems like they showed up right when the flowers started to open. I don't know if I am making a false correlation but this is my first year gardening... I can't yet tell if its gonna rain by my knees. :cry:

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rainbowgardener
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Yes, they are attracted by flowers. It was when my wild grape was flowering last year that they started spending all their time there. And I did let some of my basil go to seed last year, for the same reason and noticed lots of insects coming to them, not all of them beneficials or things you think about with flowers. The JB's still weren't there (I didn't let mine flower until near the end of the season when the JB's are finished) but I think cucumber beetles showed up for the first time.

Slarson12
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Actually mine have not yet started to flower and I noticed them on my basil plants today. I have also pulled the flowers off of my plants as they appear and they were horrible last year.

ButterflyLady29
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You have only a balcony and set up a beetle trap on it? The traps actually draw beetles in from everywhere and are supposed to be placed at least 50 feet from your garden area. Get rid of the beetle trap then get a bucket filled half full of water and pour some dish soap in it, 1 teaspoon should be enough. Early in the morning go out and knock the beetles into the bucket of soapy water. If you have a lid for the bucket you can use the mix for several days, just cover it when you are done. When the bucket gets icky just pour it in the toilet and put fresh water and soap in the bucket.

Supposedly Marvel of Peru is toxic to Japanese beetles. Wouldn't hurt to grow one plant just to try it.

imafan26
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The traps do lure more beetles so you have to put the traps far away. If you can cover the basil with netting or put them in a screened cage once you get rid of the beetles it will help to exclude them. Put the netting on after dark. The beetles usually don't stay on the plant all the time and go back to the turf to lay eggs at night. They are Most active in June and July, when the beetles emerge. If you know you have this problem, then try screening the plants earlier.
https://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/in ... e-beetles/

Build a box for the basil plants out of PVC and put the insect netting over it. I use tulle from the fabric shop. It lets light in and it is easy to find. It is important that it covers all the way under the frame so the beetles can't get in at the bottom. Put the cage on after dark. The beetles should have left the plant for the turf by then.

Exclusion works only if you keep them excluded.



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