Big Problem with Beetles!!!
 

I've searched the forums and not seen this covered so here goes...


Hi all!

I've just recently planted (ok, in pots in the ground) my three largest basjoos outside the front of my house. I noticed yesterday a little spot on one of the leaves where it had been eaten away by some bug, leaving that part of the leaf looking like mesh or netting.

I get home from work tonight and find several beetles munching away on the leaves leaving huge patches of destruction in their wakes! Any idea how to stop these demons before they make the plants look awful? I'm not fussy about fruit since they are basjoos and I'm in New Jersey and my growing season is quite short.

Is it best to use a spray, or perhaps an additive when I water them? Any particualr brands you'd recommend or discourage? Also I'm a little worried about deer and other animals getting hungry, will anti-bug measures make the plant taste bad to an animal? I'm not willing to put an ugly wire fence around them.

Thanks in advance for the advice! As you can tell I'm not too good at this stuff yet!

Lets hear it for Poison and Dangerous Chemicals!!!! :08:

~Joe

Re: Big Problem with Beetles!!!
 

Sounds like Japanese beetles. I knock mine off into a bucket of soapy water (do it fast - they try to fly away).
I don't know about chemicals. There is an organic treatment that will kill the beetle in its grub phase.

I sort of use a rose plant to distract them. They seem to prefer eating those leaves, then I capture them there. Or on my grapevine :(

s.

Re: Big Problem with Beetles!!!
 

Where are you...??? I get some Japanese beetles on my Basjoo's about this time of the year when they are mating, my others they don't like.
They eat a little, not enough to hurt anything though, I just knock them off when I see them. This only goes on for a couple of weeks.
This year I have had bean beetles on my Basjoo's(my young tender plants), but my snaps aren't far away. No Poison used here............

Re: Big Problem with Beetles!!!
 

Thanks for the replies...

Saturn - My three plants aren't near anything else except a streetlight so they're pretty much a beacon to a hungry beetle. Some other plants to get their attention maybe a good idea. As for the soapy water, its a good idea, but their are a lot of beetles all day and night and I'd never get anything else done!

tdl462 - I'm in Northern New Jersey, last year (my first year with bananas) all I had were Chinese Yellows and had no problem. This year I've also got basjoos, dwarf cavendish's and one which may be a giant cavendish which I picked up in the Florida Keys last year. The beetles have exclusively gone for the basjoos, nothing else! I really hope this is only for a couple of weeks because they've done a fair amount of damage.

I've purchased a Japanese beetle killer spray which has probably stopped about 80% of them but some are pretty persistent. I've had to use a lot so I'm hoping the leaves don't get scorched.

We'll see...

Thanks,

~Joe

Re: Big Problem with Beetles!!!
 

So much for that... had to move the plants to the back of the house since some neighbourhood kids seem to think its fun to rip out the new leaf spikes and use them as swords...

:mad:

At least the bug problem will stop.

~Joe