June 27, 2007

Beetles

This is the beetle I want.


Sadly, this is the beetle I have. Japanese Beetles. Eww. For the love of Summer foliage, will someone please tell me how to eradicate them? I've tried Spectracide Bug Stop to no avail. My ornamentals are quickly becoming skeletons! What should I do? Have any of you used a beetle trap?

27 comments:

  1. I want that aqua beauty, too! What a hoot!
    As for the four legged kind, yes, I've used a trap and it's not pretty. I won't go into the graphic details (yuck!), but I do think traps do help a bit. The good news is that their shells are a really pretty iridescent green...( I like shiney things...)
    Good luck! Love your blog.
    Laurie

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  2. Love the beetle in the first picture. So cool. But I'm afraid I don't know what to do about the little foliage munchers! Hope you manage to find a solution before they eat much more.

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  3. Love the vintage Beetle car!! But not the second type!!!

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  4. Love the car, but the bugs eewww!
    I don't know anything about them. I always go and talk to my nursery guy when I need help, or go online and look it up.
    Good Luck!
    Rosemary

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  5. Hi! I'm from Portugal and i like old cars to, if you to ask or taken any dought's see this blog, it belongs to my husband, and he likes very much the old cars, maybe he can help you (forgive my english ^__^) http://classiccargarage.blogspot.com
    Kisses from Ana

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  6. Hi Jen...Cute little blue bug...now the other one, is another story. I don't have any advice...just wanted to comment on the VW!

    Pat
    Back Porch Musings

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  7. I saw my first bloody Japanese Beetle yesterday. The beetles re a huge problem here as well and the only thing that works is Milky Spore. Your local nursery will be able to tell you about it. You apply it to your yard twice a year to kill the larva. It takes about two years to kill everything.

    We have noticed a huge decrease in the beetles since using the Milky Spore.

    Good Luck!

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  8. Last summer our backyard was swarming with Japanese beetles. Consequently, I can vouch for the beetle traps that are sold in the stores. I am happy to report that using the bags saved my flower beds and vegetable garden.

    Good luck, if you decide to go in that direction.

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  9. I just watched an episode of "Gardening by the Yard" on HGTV yesterday which covered Japanese beetles.
    http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gardening/article/0,1785,HGTV_3546_2165906,00.html
    That is a cool VW!
    Hope this helps!
    Monica

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  10. Great VB - After watching the movie "Foul Play" in the 70's I wanted a yellow one like Goldie Hawn drove :-} They are still popular today & my son's friend has a little silver one complete with stick on vase on the dashboard & sunflower :-}...sorry about your "other" beetle problem.

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  11. Dish soap and water...You have to respray every time it rains (which it thankfully has decided to do again around here!).

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  12. My friends have the Japanese bettles every summer in their subdivision. Everyone uses those bag things that hang on stakes. They seem to work really well. I'd give that a whirl. I love the VW beetle, too. I have always wanted a VW convertible-sans my Remington Steele and my first boyfriend in high school drove a VW convertible. :)

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  13. That car is fab...the other, not so much. Sorry, no ideas. In Florida I just assume I have to be willing to share my space with bugs...large bugs.

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  14. I second the beetle traps! They work beautifully!

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  15. aqua beetle convertible!? Yum! Sadly, I have no info on how to deter beetles.

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  16. Buggers for you the pesky beetles. We had them last year and they ate every plant in our three-tiered pot 3x (I kept refilling it with new plants). Thankfully,none this year but I do hear it is quite prevalent here in the midwest. Argh.

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  17. The VW wagon is adorable. I hope some of the solutions to the OTHER beetle help you out.
    Lallee

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  18. I don't use those bags. I personally think it attracts them!
    I just go out in the morning and squish them (I wear gardening gloves). Hopefully that's a lesson to all that survive LOL! I do also spray them when they're on my roses.

    Manuela

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  19. Yes, don't use the trap-they just attract more beetles. Go here
    http://www.squidoo.com/Japanesebeetles/
    and read about them. Nasty little things.

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  20. What a great VW Beetle. My dear Dad bought a robin egg blue one when I was a young girl. I loved that car...sure wish it was still around.

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  21. If you are not adverse to chemicals, I swear by Bayer Tree & Brush. It takes a few weeks to work, but works for a year. It is a systemic and I don't mix it as strong as the instructions. It is spendy - but my roses are thanking me. I live in the desert in Wash. State and Japanese beetles love it here. The Bayer is the only thing that I have found that really works. I would rather have the VW version! Cheers.

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  22. Love that first beetle - amazing.

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  23. Ick, ick, ick. Just reading all the comments freaked me out. So far I haven't had problems with these little buggers, and I hope not to! I'm squeamish and organic, so that doesn't give me many options! Meanwhile, I SO want that little blue car!!! And of course, convertible. Of course! ~A :-)

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  24. We are kindred spirits. Must be that Hoosier blood. Born there, mostly grew up in Sonoma, Ca. (wine country). I think our 'crush' list is pretty much the same. My husband even bought me the teapot and I left it on the hob & killed it! Unbelievable!
    Adding you to my blog roll. Keep up with a very readable and lovely blog.

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  25. jen--i just love your blog! Love your blue dream bug, too. My first car was a red bug!

    As for the japanese beetles--don't use the traps, they will just attract more and the trap can't catch them all so the rest feast on your plants! I go out between 10am-2pm--prime time for them to be out feasting--with a small bowl of soapy water(dish soap)and flip them into the water. Time consuming but fun to watch the little buggers die. Ask me what I do to earwigs!

    Pam-in indiana(you know me!)

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  26. http://www.gardentech.com/sevin_fastfacts.asp

    I think that Sevin dust/products are most effective, here is some information.

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  27. love the wheels and the bumper on the beetle, just bought mine today... for the bug, well hunt it or them down, a lot of patience must be needed though !!
    nice blog !
    leumon

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