Avatar for Shadegardener
Jul 10, 2015 11:28 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cindy
Hobart, IN zone 5
aka CindyMzone5
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier
I've been waiting for the yearly onslaught of JBs. They've been drifting in at anywhere between 1 and 5 per day but some days have no "visitors". Unusual based on the last two years. I know they prefer the warmer temps with not much rain. Has anyone else experienced an unusual showing? Are they waiting to attack all at once?
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize that we can't eat money. Cree proverb
Avatar for Coppice
Jul 12, 2015 9:32 AM CST
Name: Tom Cagle
SE-OH (Zone 6a)
Old, fat, and gardening in OH
Maybe they drowned in the Noakian deluge?

*I should be so lucky*
Avatar for Shadegardener
Jul 12, 2015 11:06 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cindy
Hobart, IN zone 5
aka CindyMzone5
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier
Maybe the combination of rain and cool temps has forced them to give up? Maybe they're not prone to fly as far when the weather is miserable? I wasn't sure if the situation was specific to just my garden or if any other folks have had the same experience. Most of my JBs fly in from other properties. It's been several years since I put down milky spore on the lawn (and I've been reading how the JBs are becoming immune to it) and I hand-catch all the JB's in my small sunny garden rather than use sprays or systemics. Just curious.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize that we can't eat money. Cree proverb
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Jul 19, 2015 10:01 PM CST
Name: Catherine
SW Louisiana (Zone 9a)
I thought so too at first but we had several terribly hot days after *weeks* of rain and the JBs appeared - ate my roses for a week in July and have tapered back now to just a few. All in all not a bad year for them - most of my trees went unscathed. I'm in 5a NW IL.
Avatar for Shadegardener
Jul 20, 2015 7:40 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cindy
Hobart, IN zone 5
aka CindyMzone5
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier
I did see an increase in the JBs yesterday but no more than 10. Most days 2 or 3. I'm at home during the day so I can patrol my small sunny garden. Maybe I'm just catching them in time before they can send out too many signals. I've caught maybe 30 to 40 when I would normally be well over 100 in the season.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize that we can't eat money. Cree proverb
Avatar for Shadegardener
Aug 7, 2015 8:06 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cindy
Hobart, IN zone 5
aka CindyMzone5
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier
JBs still drifting in. Gosh, I hate those things. Getting my second flush of roses (which in other years is usually a non-event) so at least I know where to look for them. Tried zonal geraniums in pots this year but didn't have a single customer. I will say that this year's batch of JBs are behaving a little differently. Slower, more sluggish, not buzzing around as much. Maybe because there are fewer of them, there are as many pheromones floating around to drive them crazy?
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize that we can't eat money. Cree proverb
Avatar for seedrat
Aug 9, 2015 11:39 PM CST
NW Indiana (Zone 6a)
Howdy, Shadegardener, from a little closer to the lake. I have seen very very few JBs compared to other years. I think I've only seen 5 total. Like you, I just grab them and kill them. I never got around to using milky spore but the many moles in the yard do their best to kill the grubs.

They usually flock to my Kiss-me-over-TGG which reseeded little this year and is only now thinking about blooming, so maybe that's why I have so few? But I have a rose of sharon blooming and I think they love those.
Avatar for Shadegardener
Aug 10, 2015 9:13 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cindy
Hobart, IN zone 5
aka CindyMzone5
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier
Hey, Seedrat -
Yesterday was a big day for JBs - I think I caught 8. I thought they'd start winding down by now but here they got a later start. Still not as many as the past couple of years and they don't seem as vigorous. Not a lot of flying and easily caught. Wouldn't you know that I'm getting a good second flush of roses - usually don't get that many most years - and that's where the JBs are now targeting.
I did hear about a new BT product that works on Japanese beetles - I think its Btk (nicknamed Beetlejuice). Haven't checked into it yet but that might be the next step since some studies have shown that milky spore doesn't work as well anymore on JB larva (read it here on ATP).
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize that we can't eat money. Cree proverb
Avatar for seedrat
Aug 10, 2015 10:54 AM CST
NW Indiana (Zone 6a)
Interesting--I haven't seen any for a week. I have just 2 roses and only one has any flowers right now, maybe I just don't have enough to keep them in my garden right now and they're flying off to eat and lay eggs somewhere else.
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Aug 26, 2015 8:40 PM CST
Name: David Laderoute
Zone 5B/6 - NW MO (Zone 5b)
Ignoring Zones altogether
Seed Starter Avid Green Pages Reviewer Garden Ideas: Level 1
The JB have been pretty bad this year in NW Missouri - worse than the past 4 years, but not horrific. Wnen I lived in New England they were HORRIBLE. Had to rely on traps or you could forget Roses.

Here this year they did a lot of damage to Hibiscus and Roses. I enjoy squishing them.

Far worse this year has been grass hoppers - zillions of the little buggers and they do a lot of damage. Last year they practically trashed a Serviceberry over night.
Seeking Feng Shui with my plants since 1976
Avatar for Shadegardener
Aug 27, 2015 7:44 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cindy
Hobart, IN zone 5
aka CindyMzone5
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier
Without much experience with grasshoppers, I always envision them as out on the plains - tv references. I might get a few at the end of the summer when we have drier weather but nothing to act upon.
I think the JBs are finally done for the year. I did catch a few over the weekend but none since. Of course, it's been much cooler this week with a couple of windy days which seems to inhibit they're flying to the buffet. I think I can officially retire my stinky coffee can of drowned JBs for the season.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize that we can't eat money. Cree proverb
Avatar for gchrismer
Sep 12, 2015 8:35 AM CST
Wisconsin (Zone 4b)
"They" say Zone 5, I garden for 4!
Daylilies Dog Lover
Here in south central WI - I never saw them on my roses, but something has decimated even the Wm Baffin and rugosa. However the other day was at friends' house and they literally had clumps of them on their roses.
I have one plant that seems to attract them and it is a gaurs, perhaps Siskiyou Pink. Again clumps/pairs of them all over. OTOH, it isn't all bad, I know where to look and then I flick them into a container of water mixed with some cooking oil. Drowned!
Avatar for Shadegardener
Sep 12, 2015 9:22 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cindy
Hobart, IN zone 5
aka CindyMzone5
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier
My JBs have been gone for a couple of weeks. The season seemed to start late and end late this year. I'd say the population was only about 25 to 30% of what it's been the two previous years. Good for me. No big plagues of them even though I had a good second flush of roses which I normally don't get. Finding them when they're hiding under the leaves when it's hot is my biggest challenge but not enough damage to complain about.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize that we can't eat money. Cree proverb
Image
Apr 27, 2016 7:45 AM CST
Name: Rose
Oquawka, IL (Zone 5a)
Echinacea Hibiscus Dahlias Clematis Charter ATP Member Region: Illinois
Garden Photography Heucheras Hummingbirder Hostas Garden Art Birds
Thought I'd post my solution to Japanese Beetles. It works but you'll have to look at a white bucket by your plants. But that's a lot nicer than chewed up plants! They love my clematis and hibiscus blooms... Grumbling
Thumb of 2016-04-27/Rose1656/5d9bab
When all is said and done, there’s more said than done.
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Apr 27, 2016 8:00 AM CST
Name: Gene Staver
Portage WI 53901 (Zone 5a)
Annuals Houseplants Herbs Cat Lover Garden Photography Cactus and Succulents
Butterflies Birds Hummingbirder Garden Sages
Azamax works on Jap. Beetles. Gene
Avatar for Shadegardener
Apr 27, 2016 8:22 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cindy
Hobart, IN zone 5
aka CindyMzone5
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier
I do try to knock the beetles into a container of soapy water where I can reach them. If I can't reach them, Azamax to the rescue! Once Azamax is sprayed, will it affect the beetles if they try to eat the sprayed surface?
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize that we can't eat money. Cree proverb
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Apr 27, 2016 9:25 AM CST
Name: Jim D
East Central Indiana (Zone 5b)
Annuals Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge) Garden Procrastinator Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Native Plants and Wildflowers Region: Indiana
Hummingbirder Frogs and Toads Dragonflies Cottage Gardener Butterflies Birds
Memeroies of the year they ate my Red Leaf Maple to the Bark and killed it , an 8 ft salad ,, Thumbs down

Nothing like that since the following year , I could shake a plum tree and it was like a swarm of beetle bees would fly everywhere ,, soundied like bullets bouncing off the garage siding , Blinking

Traps , smash , as many as I can catch , Glare
In the Butterfly garden if a plant is not chewed up I feel like a failure
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Apr 27, 2016 9:28 AM CST
Name: Gene Staver
Portage WI 53901 (Zone 5a)
Annuals Houseplants Herbs Cat Lover Garden Photography Cactus and Succulents
Butterflies Birds Hummingbirder Garden Sages
Yes. Azamax does not kill insects by direct spraying on the insects. It kills by making the plant taste bad, stops insects from eating, by preventing the insects from maturing, laying eggs, etc.
Last edited by gasrocks Apr 27, 2016 9:29 AM Icon for preview
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Apr 27, 2016 3:14 PM CST
Name: Sue Petruske
Wisconsin (Zone 5a)
Is it safe to use on raspberry bushes? We had an awful time last year picking them off the raspberries (and roses). They even were after the daylilies a little.
Avatar for Shadegardener
Apr 27, 2016 4:33 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Cindy
Hobart, IN zone 5
aka CindyMzone5
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier
Thanks, Gene, for clarifying for me.
Sue - DD's raspberries in MI get covered with JBs.
Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize that we can't eat money. Cree proverb

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