Unwelcome Guests

Discussion in 'Maples' started by Kaitain4, Jun 6, 2010.

  1. Kaitain4

    Kaitain4 Well-Known Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    *SIGH* - I found my first Japanese Beetles of the season today. One on A.s. 'Jordan' and two on A.p. 'Shigarami'. For some reason they seem to love 'Shigarami' - it is always the first and most heavily infested tree.

    Last year I put down Milky Spore diesase. I'm hoping this will reduce numbers this year, although I think it can take several years for the spores to spread thoroughly through the soil. Still, it is supposed to be the most effective control. Does anyone else suffer this six-week long attack of the bugs from hell like I do?? What have you found successful in controlling these little varmits?
     
  2. TJoe

    TJoe Member

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    Upstate New York here. I get a big attack of them every year but they seem to leave my JM alone or at least I never noticed. They do LOVE my grapevines though.
    I put out Japanese Beatle bags/traps just to feel good.I catch lots but theres still alot
    not caught.
     
  3. Kaitain4

    Kaitain4 Well-Known Member Maple Society 10 Years

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  4. TJoe

    TJoe Member

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    I`ve heard of Milky Spore but I don`t think it survives my cold winter in NY.
    I do know my grape vines are covered with them with or without the traps.
    They really don`t hurt the vines though and trapping hundreds of them feels good.
    As far as my Bloodgood goes I`ll watch it closer this year but never noticed a problem.
    I hardly noticed the bloodgood untill it gave me seedlings this spring though.
     
  5. Gomero

    Gomero Well-Known Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    It is funny to read that in North America Japanese Beetles seem to be a 'normal' pest (is it the same in all States?).

    Over here, in Europe, public authorities make herculean (and to me doomed) efforts to keep it away. Last December the bug was found in a private garden in Boskoop (the horticulture capital of Holland, thus the horticulture capital of Europe). The authorities immediately destroyed, within a radius of 100 m. around the spot, all plants, big and small, known to be potential hosts for the beetle. In addition a quarantine was immediately established for an area of several kms (I do not remember exactly how many) around the spot, covering de facto all the horticultural growing area of Boskoop, with total commercial ban for all the professionals in the area. Each grower then had to pay from their pockets for two governmental inspectors to come to their Nurseries and clear them out. This inspection is not cheap since they inspect almost each tree, destroying a few dozen (large ones) to inspect the trunks inside. For a medium size Nursery it would take two inspectors, several days. Fortunately for the Dutch growers, after inspecting all the Nurseries, they did not find another beetle because, had they found a secondary outbreak, the entire zone would have been in absolute quarantine for at least one full year which would have meant going out of business for most of them.

    And this is not the end of it. I was over there in March (well after all the nurseries had been cleared) and bought a few maples from a well known supplier. Yesterday, to my surprise, I got a phone call from a French agricultural inspector who had received from the Dutch authorities a file with the names and plants bought in Boskoop by French customers during the 3 months after clearance. He told he needs to come to my garden and inspect those maples twice, once now and a second one in September.

    Gosh!, this is terribly complicated and costly for everybody. In the US you have it and life continues as normal. I wonder why Europe takes so much pain on this little bug which, sooner or later, will irremediably spread around.

    Gomero
     
  6. Kaitain4

    Kaitain4 Well-Known Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    Gomero,

    Strange that the authorities go to such ridiculous extremes, since this insect has a very well know life cycle. They do not inhabit the trunks of trees at all. The adults burrow into the grass and lay eggs there, where the grubs feed on grass roots for a year. Then in June they hatch out as adults and feed, mate and lay eggs again. There is never an infestation in tree trunks. They only feed on leaves.

    Here in the US the bug got into the wild very quickly and there was no way to contain it after that. It eats many native plants as well as JMs. Ironically, it is one of the few insects that will attack Poison Ivy! Still, it mainly disfugures plants by skeletonizing the leaves. It rarely kills a plant.

    A far more serious pest is Gypsy Moth, which came here from Euorope and can destroy entire forests. Its favorite food is Oak, which makes up the bulk of Eastern US forests. It is slowly spreading west and south from New England, where it escaped into the wild 100 years ago. I'm hoping it will not reach my area in my lifetime, but its entirely possible.
     
  7. Acer palmatum 'Crazy'

    Acer palmatum 'Crazy' Active Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    Gomero,
    I think your pest are different from what we call Japanese Beetles.

    As Katain said, ours arrive around June, flying around eating leaves such as Roses, Grape Vines, and some maples.

    About 5 years ago, i would be terrified about them. As said they dont kill anything, but can quickly make your tree look terrible. A 10ft 'Bloodgood' could have 40 beetles on it at one time!

    Since our weather has been thru extreme spring freezes and summer droughts, they have almost dissappeared here in Atlanta, Ga. I dont think i even found one last year.
    I was hoping for at least one good sign to come out of our extreme weather, but i guess nature endures, even the bad parts.

    Havent seen any here yet, I hope they stop at Katain's place and fill up, Just kidding Katain!

    We had an outbreak of a similar beetle to what you guys are facing. It did invade the bark of trees. The damage however came from it enabling a fungus to kill the tree. Once they brought in the fungus, it was over eventually for the tree. I lost several 15ft crepe myrtles. It was something to really be scared off. Nurseryman in the area recommended buring anything they showed signs of the beetle tracks under the bark.
     
  8. maf

    maf Generous Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    The beetle that caused the quarantine in Boskoop was the Citrus longhorn beetle, Anoplophora chinensis, native to Japan and China, no wonder the authorities are taking it so seriously:
    Quarantine after longhorn beetle outbreak prevents 550 Dutch nurseries selling plants from Horticulture Week.

    The Food and Environment Research Agency PDF on Anoplophora chinensis.

    Is also taken seriously as a threat in the USA, with a couple of reports of beetles being imported in Bonsai trees.

    As the "other" Japanese Beetle is not a pest in Europe AFAIK, people have probably been lazily using the term as a common name for this one. Luckily never had to deal with either of them myself.
     
  9. Gomero

    Gomero Well-Known Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    Good links Maf, the article pretty much confirms what I learned.
    The bug seems to have gained a foothold in Europe (Lombardy) in spite of all the efforts to keep it out. We already have many, many other more deadly pests and I wonder why it is believed that this one will be much worse. When I was in Japan I saw many beautiful maple forests, so this is not going to decimate our European trees. Last week I witnessed the havoc that the pine processionary caterpillar is doing to the largest forest in Western Europe, in the Landes in SW France. Maybe Governments should dedicate more resources to research on those pests and less in sending inspectors all over the places tracking buyers who lawfully bought plants from cleared sellers.

    Gomero
     
  10. Kaitain4

    Kaitain4 Well-Known Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    I think the problem is not so much in the insect, but in the lack of predators for a particular insect. All ecosystems have a natural balance, with predators keeping prey in check. When a beetle like this is introduced to a foreign environment, much of time there are no natural predators for that insect. Japanese Beetles are a perfect example. In Japan, the natural predators keep their number in check. Here in the US, there are no natrual predators and they can multiply almost uncontrolled. Even birds do not know how to attack them because they have defensive postures and behaviors foreign to the native birds.

    So any insect could become a threat to a foreign ecosystem if there are a lack of controls. Its a real problem with globalization so rampant right now.
     
  11. maf

    maf Generous Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    I am far from being an expert, but it seems logical to suppose that imported pests, such as the two beetles discussed in this thread, are more of a threat to trees than native pests because the local predators are not adapted to dealing with them. Without their natural predators maybe they can get established to an extent out of proportion to their potential for damage in their native land. Of course you have to be very careful in bringing in predators to deal with non-native species, because of their potential effect on the local fauna.

    P.S.
    Kaitan4 is making the same point a couple of minutes before me. One thing in particular I have found especially worrying about the Longhorned beetles in question is that they may potentially be imported in packing material from China; they could in theory bypass a total ban on live plant imports from Asia.
     
  12. emery

    emery Renowned Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    I was also contacted by the agricultural department today, inspections pending. Gomero, do you know what I should expect?

    -E
     
  13. Gomero

    Gomero Well-Known Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    Emery,

    My 'inspector' was sympa, he was very quick inspecting the trunk of the 4 maples in question, he did not look at any of the (many) other maples in the Garden. He said he needs to come back in September.

    I understand there is one inspecdtor covering each region. Good luck with yours!!

    Gomero
     
  14. CSL

    CSL Active Member

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    I have the same problem here in New England; every year the Japanese Beetles come in a wipe out my grapes, cherry trees, my Acer palmatums and in particular one Persian Ironwood that I have.

    I have inoculated my lawn with Milky Spore a number of years ago, and it does help keep the grubs down in my lawn, but the problem is the beetles flying in from everywhere else for a free meal.

    This year I did something different.

    I ordered two Praying Mantis egg cases and hatched several hundred mantids. I seeded them throughout my yard, primarily to combat the beetles when they do arrive.

    It should be interesting to see how these guys end up dealing with the beetles.

    Regards,
    CSL
     
  15. Kaitain4

    Kaitain4 Well-Known Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    CSL,

    Yes, that is a problem if those around you do not treat their yards as well. I'm isolated on a hill and surrounded by woods, so my little "microcosm" can probably be treated a little more effectively.

    Let us know how the Mantis work out!
     
  16. CSL

    CSL Active Member

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    I thought you might like this photo - as I mentioned I seeded my yard with these guys in an attempt to combat the Japanese Beetles.

    I was away last week but got home last night and was able to find two if these in my Raspberries fairly easily. Due to an ordering SNAFU with an online seller - I did not get the egg cases until about 5 weeks after they were supposed to arrive.

    So unfortunately, they are a little small for dealing with the Japanese Beetles, which have arrived as well, but they still make for interesting watching.

    But in any case, next year will be more interesting assuming I get these guys on time.

    This one was locked onto a target when I took this pic...

    Cheers,
    CSL
     

    Attached Files:

  17. Kaitain4

    Kaitain4 Well-Known Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    He's such a cool little guy! I think I'll buy some egg cases next year..
     
  18. emery

    emery Renowned Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    I've now been inspected, the gubbmint showed up unannounced (as they like to) and the neighbor showed him around.

    He had the courtesy to telephone later, and said there are no signs of problems. But as in Gomero's case he'll be back in Sept/Oct to check again.

    He did say he enjoyed the garden, anyway! :)

    -E
     
  19. McHoop

    McHoop Member

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    Here in the midwest, we too suffer from these pests; at varying degrees of infestation from year to year. Last year wasn't too bad. I'm hopeful about this year but just yesterday I killed my first four of the year.

    Right now, my trees in the ground are rather small and I can physically reach even the upper most reaches of their limbs. The ones in pots are easy. My current methodology is to get "medieval" on them, gleefully squeezing them between index finger and thumb.

    The key seems to be daily vigilance during the height of the infestation. The longer the beetle(s) are on the foliage, the more pheremones they release, calling others to the banquet. It's important to keep the carcasses away from the tree even after they're smooshed.

    I realize this strategy is short sighted as one day it will be physically impossible to keep it up as the trees mature but for the moment it works best for me and allows me to resist my last resort of carbaryl mist in a spray bottle. I hate using chemicals but admit I'll do it rather than watch a tree or plant get shredded by these pests.

    McHoop
     
  20. kaydye

    kaydye Active Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    Yes, we have been invaded by them in the middle of the U.S. as McHoop said. I used the milky spore last year and have seen fewer this year, so far. It seems that there are certain plants I can find them on daily. I go around with a glass jar of alcohol and knock them off into it. I have always heard not to crush them due to the release of pheremones. I plan on using the milky spore again this fall, since it helped some. I, too, live in the woods, so there are trees all around. Don't know how much good it will do. I'm intrigued by the praying mantis. We have some naturally around, but not a lot. Please tell me about them. I assume they eat Japanese bettles? I had never heard that. Do any birds eat them? I have a ton of wrens this year, they seem like likely candidates.
    Kay
     
  21. Kaitain4

    Kaitain4 Well-Known Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    Praying Mantis will definitely eat a Japanese Beetle, as long as they have had time to grow large enough to do the job. Doubt they would make a huge dent in the population, but any amount is welcome.

    Birds currently do not touch the beetles. They have a defensive mechanism where they kick up their legs at the approach of a predator, and this seems to fool our native birds. Eventually they may learn to eat them, but so far this free meal seems to have bamboozled our feathered friends.

    I'm going to spread Milky Spore and also buy some Mantis egg cases next year. And I think I'll try some pyrethrin spray for the mass attacks on roses and prized JMs. Its a natural insecticide but very effective.
     
  22. putitintheole

    putitintheole Member

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    I heard through our UW extension program, that neem oil applied at 60% concentrate will help control Japanese Beetles. I have never tried it, not much of a problem here. Curious if anyone else has tried it.
    -Also heard that Starlings will eat JB.
    Our big problem here in Wisconsin and throughout the midwest, NE and Canada is the emerald ash borer.
     

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