We had a ton of problems with japanese beetles the first year we moved into our house. I doused our yard with milky spore two years in a row and havent seen one since. Reminds me that i need to go to pikes to get another bag.
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Same goes for me! But I put milky spore on for three years. Not one beetle in ten years!
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Thatās great to hear. Nice testimonial. I was going to stop and get some today but I was reading and it said spring is not a good time to apply it because grubs arenāt actively feeding. It suggested that fall is the best time because grubs are feeding heavily to bulk up for the winter.
Any time the ground is not frozen will work. Apply just before a rain.
The back of the box says when is best. I think June thru Aug is best, if I am remembering correctly.
I walk around with a plastic spoon and a bag of powder and carefully drop it all over the place in the recommended grid-like pattern.
Oops. Yeah. You were right. Fall is the best time to apply the bacterium.
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The first year I followed the directions and added a scoop in a matrix pattern. The second year I threw the bag in my drop spreader and wandered through the yard shooting milky spore everywhere. This was a whole lot easier and given the bacteria concentrations in each pellet I figured this would work just as well. Does anyone happen to know why they suggest applying it in the fall? The two times Iāve applied it were in early spring when we get rain.
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As mentioned above the reason I heard fall is best is that its the time of year when grubs feed the most in preparation for winter. Apparently milky spore can not harm a grub unless they ingest it. They could bath in it and it wonāt harm them unless they eat it. So fall makes sense since itās their heaviest feeding time.
Also, the instruction on the bag of pelletized milky spore stated that you shouldnāt use a broadcast spreader, only a drop spreader. Due to itās light weight I believe. I only have a broadcast spreader so it looks like Iāll buy the powder.
I tried it at my cottage and at home, and I experienced no change, been 5 years now, and they are still all over. A new BT bacteria is out now too, that kills both beetles and grubs, not just Japanese beetles. Verdict is still out on how effective. I heard bacteria that eat chitin will kill the grubs, so I put oyster shells all over the place, feed them, and they will come!
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Im trying the new homemade traps! Setup on the perimeter of the orchard. These beetles should be good for fish food or compost! Thanks @39thparallel
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Clark becareful not to spill the trash can full of dead Japanese beetles on yourself. They stunk real bad in the hot KS sun.
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Yes i think the japanese beetles smell like hogs! As long as they are dead whatever i smell like getting rid of them or the cost is worth it! They defoliate apples, grapes, etc.
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Have you tried Mikly Spore?
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No i have not but i would like to.
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Well it only effects grubs so your traps wont be wasted this season. Spread Milky spore bacteria in the fall around august when the ground temps are still between 60-70f. The grubs will be dead in 2 weeks becoming spore factories. Buy the treatment now because it often sells out by the time using it would be effective.
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I went to a thrift store recently and saw that they had several 20lb bags of St Gabriel milky spores granules. I asked the shop owner for a price and he said $6 a bag. I passed on the deal, and we left with some other items. I later checked the price for this product and saw it was about $40-60 per 20lb bag, so I thought I missed a chance.
Well, yesterday my wife said she was going to go back to the shop and I asked her to check and see if they still had any bags left, and told her if they would give her a deal if she bought multiple bags. So, when she got back, she said they still had the bags and they said theyād sell them at $4 per bag, so she got me 3 bags for $12! Score!
We have an awful JB problem here on the farm, they shred my 3 pluot treesā leaves, along with our rose bushes, raspberries and some apple and blackberries. So, Iām really excited to find this stuff and try it out.
I have a few questions.
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Since itās winter, where can I store these bags? Will it hurt to put them in an unheated shed or barn where they will be exposed to freezing temps?
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Is there an expiration date on this stuff?
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Whenās the best time to apply? Our JB infestations seem to start in late June and last thru August. So, maybe one application in late August, and another one in maybe October? What about spring?
Thanks.
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Thanks, I think Iāve seen that vid before. But can you or anyone else comment on my 3 questions?
Subdood,
When I had questions about milky spores many moons ago, I called the company/manufacturer, St Gabriel Organics.
MILKY SPORE POWDER ā 10 oz. | St. Gabriel Organics.
Milky spores is less effective in colder zones. If the ares do not have soil temp in 60ā70 for three months, it is not effective. Also, you should use them when Japanese beetles grubs in your area are actively feeding.
These 7 Spring Farm Q&A can answer your questions.
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Thanks Iāll look into the links. I feel like I got lucky getting these bags on the cheap. Considering how bad we get JB, Iād really like to try it out.
I think our soil is warm enough long enough to use MS. We plant corn in May and you need warm-ish soil temps to grow that, so I think weāre good there.
Howād they work for you?
It has worked fine for me. I put them on my lawn about 10 years ago. We still have a bit of JB but not noticeble at all (donāt want to jink myself).
I checked JB activities in my area before I put MS down. JBs need to be active and feeding on MS so they get killed and spread the bacteria around.