Some friends sent me a photo of what happened to all their peaches and apples this year. Thought i would share the photo with the group. This was the first year japanese and june beetles found their way to their farm.
Their cherries like many farms around here were suddenly all killed by canker. Many of those cherry trees were around 1-50 years old. Black rot on grapes and fireblight have discouraged many other people. Brown rot has been very bad in recent years. Blackberries are also dying. The bush below is just a honeysuckle weed and the pest and disease pressure is so high weed trees are having a hard time. It has die back that looks similar to fireblight. Leaving it alone to observe it further. Might innoculate the entire bush intentionally to test what the disease is further.
Many elms were stripped by japanese beetles. This post is more of an observation. As people sometimes ask for my help in this area i like for others to see things like the photo above i received. In my lifetime we have never seen higher disease and pest pressure or stranger weather than we do today. We will also adapt like the wild pears do.
Oh that’s awful! Do your friends use any insecticides?
For years I have considered applying milky spore and/or beneficial nematodes to help combat the various types of beetles that wreak havoc on the fruit. Not sure I’ll do it this year either, due to cost and time.
Anyone familiar with this book? If it is to be believed, a lot of our pest and disease issues could be soil related. I’m going to take soil samples this week.
I will be sraying milky spore under my trees in the moist mulch, where they will lay their eggs, at least the ones who escape my wanderings. Between the rows the tough clayshould keep them from laying eggs. Nematodes next year. As much as I love feeding the fish, it aint fishin’
Milky spires are bacteria that you spread all over your yard. It is effective but is not a quick fix at all. It may take up to 3 years for them to show a good result and even longer if you are in a colder zone.
It only works with Japanese beetles. If you have other grubs, milky spores probably won’t work.
In my case the swarming Japanese beetles are coming from outside of the property which milky spore does not help with either. They love bindweed and morning glory which i find interesting.
I spread milky spore on my lawns in Newport, RI. It took about two and a half years to start kicking in, but when it did it was fabulous. The spores continue to multiply on their own. 15 years laters I had forgotten I ever had Japanese beetles. They would cover my roses and ruin them annually. It is not a pretty insect and it does so much damage.w
Im a long term kinda thinker, so will go with the milky spore asap. I keep collecting thousands daily. While numbers are down on the hazelnut trees, Im learning their other preferences in the weedy field, and targeing them on site. That doubes my numbers.
Do you also have problems with other beetles besides Japanese beetles?
I get green June beetles (Cotinis nitida) and some type of chafer beetles (which may also be what we typically call June bugs). These June bugs or chafer beetles are very destructive in the spring. They LOVE succulent new growth, especially that found on new grafts. They have stripped grafts overnight and killed them many times. Newly planted trees are also very vulnerable. This year they ate all of the green chokecherries that were forming on my chokecherry bushes.
The green June beetles really swarm the ripening peaches and decimate them, much like the picture you posted above.
