This bug infested 2 pots of impatients, I threw out the plant with the pots, now they are starting to show up on my jalapeno pla - Popillia japonica

Moved

… MJ Paulsen, 23 July, 2009 - 10:01am

Popillia japonica - Japanese Beetle

I don't have any advice on getting rid of them. Hopefully somebody has some natural ideas. How about a pet gecko? :) Maybe there's something you could put on the plants that would make them taste like old tires, something not delicious to them.

click to enlarge

… Andrew Williams, 18 July, 2009 - 4:27pm

Don't

They would probably just develop a taste for tires...

… Chuck Entz, 19 July, 2009 - 1:36am

Check out this publication by the USDA

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/pubs/pub_phjbeetle04.pdf

… Natalie Hernandez, 18 July, 2009 - 7:26pm

Jap Beetle

Thanks for the info, but now I'm even more disturbed that this isn't an easy fix. After reading that PDF, one of the plants that is listed as resistant, is the plant they went after first...my impatients. I grabbed 2 off my jalapeno plants yesterday and squashed them..YUK! I bought 2 of those strawberry hanging planters and put jalapeno plants in them, they hold 15 plants each. Now I am concerned there will be eggs IN the grow bags as well. I really don't like these little beetles! Someone said to use something called Seven dust, what's your opinion?

… Sandy K, 19 July, 2009 - 10:21am

Its in the article

The active ingredient in Sevendust is Carbaryl. Just dusting your plants isn't going to get rid of the beetles though. Thats why they're such a huge pest right now. It'll get rid of the adults feeding on the leaves, but that doesn't do anything for any grubs in the soil, and you'd have to re-treat after so long. Thats why an IPM approach is highly recommended.

… Natalie Hernandez, 19 July, 2009 - 2:36pm

cool find Natalie!

That's a neat publication. I think I'd try out the nematodes! :)

… Andrew Williams, 18 July, 2009 - 7:50pm

Its so gross to see :-P

We're doing a little work with nematodes and Cyclocephala in blueberries, and it is so nasty when you see a huge grub just explode with nematodes! They're pretty good at eating things.

… Natalie Hernandez, 18 July, 2009 - 9:47pm