Japanese Beetles ARE GREAT INDICATORS OF...

[@TheStickinator]

I modified a trap to have them slide down a pvc pipe into a pan of water. The chickens just love them.

[@fissurekingultra9162]

Weird... you're the second person I heard say that and my 9 chickens won't touch em.

[@patriciaperry7913]

Mine love them too

[@joanne1713]

My chickens love them

[@TheStickinator]

​@fissurekingultra9162 my chickens and the neighbors chickens don't eat the beatles that are common on my milkweeds.

[@Thunderbird68-i2f]

My PVC pipe empties into a bucket with a few inches of water.

[@cathyjohnson6733]

I have applied Milky Spore spring and fall, so far I have applied 3 applications, and this year, I have had very few Japanese beetles. Milky Spore is applied to the ground and focuses on eliminating the grub.

[@WesternMONo-TillGardening]

Same experience here. After three years of applying milky spore, I still have some beetles but it's much more manageable. I check their favorite spots each morning and knock them into a bucket of soapy water.

[@jennifernebraska9728]

I allow my ducks into my garden when the beetles arrive. They clear the adults out. I winter chickens on my garden in the winter. This has helped keep numbers down.

[@Quercusssss]

I work as a horticulturalist and I've noticed that certain cultivars of our ornamental plants are more targeted than others, but the plants who seem to suffer the most are those that have been exposed to stress from drought and are in very sunny, exposed conditions. Some of our sunpatiens have been obliterated but those in part-shade haven't been touched at all

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Yup, stressors of any kind show up in insects and diseases.

[@B30pt87]

Thank you for that observation.

[@adriankap2978]

I have several cupea/vermillionaire/cigar plant and a certain type of salvia with about 3-4 of sun and the JB flock to the leaves and obliterated them while not touching the other flowering plants around them. They seem to target those for sure. I’ve used milky spore and it’s cut down the amount we usually get by 75%. Best to apply is when the ground is about 60-70deg in spring then aapply again in fall before they go underground before winter.

[@SmokinS4]

I grew up in greater Boston and we had Japanese beetles as a kid. Late 70s/early80s. They've been around for much longer than 25 years. Thanks for the educational series Stefan!

[@jamesrose8660]

I remember them in SW Virginia during the same time frame.

[@Angelbach1995]

I'm in SoCal and I remember them here in the 70s/80s, too.

[@Zethro210]

I live in SW Missouri, in the middle of the Ozarks. I started a food forest here 2 years ago, and the Japanese Beetle likes my, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, Apple trees, Peach trees, plum trees, Cherry trees, hybrid fruit trees, hazelnuts, but the trees of mine that are getting eaten the most this year are my Almond Trees. I've gone out from one day to the next and half the tree will be completely eaten until I put out traps now I hardly see them and my traps fill up in about 1-2 weeks with a half gallon of beatles, however I have noticed if I place traps too close to a tree that tree gets covered with the beatles and if I place to many traps, Right now my food forest is about 3/4 of a square acre and if I place more than 2 traps I start seeing more of them I stead of less. There are 2 other beatles I have problems with but not sure of their names but the traps capture those too.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Nice job observing and experimenting.

[@gsmscrazycanuck9814]

We just moved to Southwest Missouri a couple years ago. it's quite the learning curve.

[@Zethro210]

​@@gsmscrazycanuck9814 Yeah I've only been living in Verona Missouri since December of 2021, before that I lived in Portland Oregon. Can I ask you something? Have you figured out what those smells are from? The smells range from what smells like dog or cat food to smells of manure to straight up smells of feces like just at random times of the day, does that happen to you? 😅 What part of SW Missouri do you live? I live in the middle of Verona, Mount Vernon, Aurora, and Monett about 6 miles from each on an eighteen acre farm that used to be an Amish farm and it's definitely Amish country, all my neighbors are Amish save 2 and those are my parents and one of my sisters' families 😅. I started a food Forest here last year's spring and yes Quite the learning curve, I never had any of the problems or as many problems I'm having to overcome compared to any of the gardening I did in Oregon for example; not only am I dealing with the Japanese Beetle there are 2 other beetles that basically do the same thing to my trees although I do find all three beetles in the beetle traps so they're also attracted to the bait or something, next the weather, in Portland it pretty much mists every night and morning infact this area and Portland have about the same annual rain fall but here the storms are INSANE, a month after moving here my first true lightning storm I just stood at the window crying from awe as the lightning strikes were so fast and so numerous it looked like daytime strobe lights the entire fields were lit up like noon day light. Last, the soil here is mostly rock compacted with red or gray clay, I have broken 2 pickaxe handles hitting the ground here, but I love it and I now have 25+ fruit tree varieties and 30+ blackberry and raspberry varieties, plus strawberries, seaberries, goumi berries, 10+ nut tree varieties. And I am loving it.

[@gsmscrazycanuck9814]

@@Zethro210 we should get together. We are in the Cassville area. We came from Canada in 2022. It's been a steep learning curve.

[@landomilknhoney]

I am from SE MO, and the smell that you described is most likely a fertilizer being spread by a farmer upwind from you. Other than that someone is moving their outhouse. Congratulations on your food forest, but just remember that the OzArks has over 300 wilde edibles.​@@Zethro210

[@jackjohnson]

The Japanese beetle was accidentally introduced to the United States on the roots of nursery stock from Japan brought in for the 1916 World's Fair. Lacking any natural enemies which kept it in check in Japan , it quickly spread across the Eastern and Midwest states becoming a serious plant and agricultural pest. Thats slightly more than 25 years.

[@40intrek]

I remember them in elementary school some 50 years ago..So. California..

[@katrinalikethehurricane1]

The Japanese beetles in my area of NC, they devour my apple trees, plums, grapes, cherry, beans, okra, roses (wild and domesticated), Elderberry flowers...there's probably more, these are just off the top of my head.

[@hazel555]

They also love hazel leaves. I spend time every day catching and squishing them; I tried knocking them in soapy container, which works well enough, but I disliked dealing with a gross container of dead beetles.

[@janemyfoodandflowers7726]

Also, all Hibiscus, Prunus, Rubus, beans...they are terrible, foreign invaders! They just damaged too much edible and ornamental plants.

[@jaqbab]

@@hazel555 I was told by a garden specialist not to squish them because they release a pheromone that will attract many more

[@hazel555]

@@jaqbab interesting.

[@michelebleech8766]

I apply milky spore to the lawn and that has reduced by infestation by about 75%, leaving the remaining ones to be removed by hand. I’ll apply milky spore again in the fall and again twice next year and that is supposed to help for about 10 years. Of course some will visit from the neighbors’ yards, but will be significantly reduced.

[@farrenscott]

I've applied 3 times.

[@ColRubyDimplesManacha]

Indicators of a duck deficiency 😁

[@MeanOldLady]

Definitely! My neighbors' ducks patrol the neighborhood & work over the bettles & ticks & I trap the beetles that get away. It's amazing how few beetles there are over the past 5 years compared to before the ducks (& guineas).

[@ColRubyDimplesManacha]

Now that's teamwork!

[@conquererification]

I haven't seen any Japanese beetles but I final saw a deer go from my bush beans to a very large hosta which it finished the next night over to a current and then into the orchard. Yes nice to watch but it has competition now,my chickens. 😅

[@2skyland]

😆

[@marthavojtko6268]

I live in Northern Ohio and they've been here a long time! They were in my mothers garden in the 50's and loved her roses!😥

[@linbat6148]

I had a wistera in my garden and every year it was just devistated by JB. The only thing that worked for me was DE. I live in Michigan along Lake Michigan in fruit country. This past couple of years, I keep digging out the remnants of the wisteria and I haven't seen a JB in a couple of years. Thanks for all the info!

[@JamesJones-gj1ii]

They like my apple and peach trees. My raspberries, grapes, blackberry, strawberries. They also go after my French merigolds and corn. It’s been a fun month of hand picking lol

[@Soliton19]

Near sunset I would use my car vacuum to vacuum them up from my raspberry and grape plants, then once they were dead I would mix them with bird seed and put them out for the birds, after a few weeks the birds started to eat them off the grape plants. I also use chop and drop around all plants, this gives insect predators a home. I haven't seen a Japanese Beatle for 2 years now.

[@veggiemikeellis]

I noticed they like Marigolds and I found they are a good way to use as a good distraction for the Japanese beetles in my garden

[@g.m.robertson8700]

what? are you saying ??

[@veggiemikeellis]

@@g.m.robertson8700 I'm saying marigolds are a good distraction for Japanese beetles.

[@jrae6608]

@@veggiemikeellisthey are attracted to yellow marigolds, I plant every color accept yellow ones. Info from someone who sells plants from large greenhouse. Does help

[@jimgarofalo5479]

You left out one of the biggest and most effective predators against the beetles - Blue Jays. They love them!! I started seeing japanese beetles on my bean plants, and within a few days, a flock of blue jays showed up. They picked the beans clean of any further beetle infestation.

[@PanamaSticks]

Good to know. I've been feeding my Blue Jays.

[@lorelynleisure4048]

They love the raspberries and Rose of Sharon shrubs I have, but also the Linden Tree, now that that is 20 plus feet tall I don't see as many everywhere else. I can just ignore them now and I have noticed some of the birds go after them. Used to be an overwhelming problem!

[@coaxihuitl]

The Tiphia wasps and Tachinid flies that parasitize the beetles can be attracted with plants that have easy to access nectaries such as those found in wild carrot, other Apiaceae/Umbelliferae, asters etc. If the plant attracts hover flies or other parasitoid wasps it will probably attract these parasitoids as well.

[@lisak8049]

I noticed how the Japanese beetles have been equally attractive to eating the stinging nettles growing among my raspberry plants. I generally pull many nettles out but don't worry about getting them all as long as I can reach the berries without getting brushed by the nettles. What I noticed, is that the raspberry plants where the nettles remain are less bothered by the beetles, but the nettles are being devored by the beetles. Experimenting to see if nettles will work as a trap crop for now.

[@jamesvandamme7786]

I spray them with neem oil and it makes the leaves quite unpalatable. Only on the leaves where they've been feeding and leaving their scent.

[@CharlotteCornell-Simmons]

As a Cooperative Extension Master Gardener in the mountains of NC, we don't recommend traps. They bring the Japanese Beetles to all of the neighbors' yards. How about beneficial nematodes?

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Never tried, I prefer the birds, amazing how a flock of starlings can hammer a grub population in a few minutes.

[@CharlotteCornell-Simmons]

@@StefanSobkowiak We have lost so many birds in urban and suburban areas due to feral cats and the heavy use of pesticides and herbicides, that you can't count on them. And birds have learned to eat out of feeders to avoid risking those chemicals.

[@tg_ny]

But what do you do when one day you walk outside and have dozens of the beetles already in your apple and dogwood trees? I wish the predator from Japan was tested and brought here, like they did for the EAB. Talk about destruction. I had to bring down over 50 dead ash trees on my property this summer because of that borer.

[@kooale]

@@StefanSobkowiak A "flock of starlings"! Every native birder's worse nightmare! STEFAN!!!!??

[@sheinamacor9789]

@@StefanSobkowiak the nematodes help with the grubs , takes a few years to establish, will help with your lawn, however, any pesticides or weather, etc affect the nematodes, so it can take longer to take effect. Unfortunately, It will not help with the adults that fly into your yard from neighbouring yards.

[@jeffsandmann4712]

What I gleaned from this video, give the neighbors that don’t grow anything the traps. BT for the grub stage and lots of bird houses. Try putting some in with your bird seed so the local birds get use to eating them and feeding them to the babies.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Good idea 👍

[@GypsyBrokenwings]

They like my apple trees, roses, grapes and muscadines, raspberries, blackberries, green beans, peach, plums, and pear trees. I did notice this year I haven't done the summer pruning and there's fewer beetles on the trees. A friend said she hasn't had much of a problem since she let the armadillos come through her yard, says they eat the larva.

[@petuniahead9982]

North Alabama- my 2 plum trees, blackberries, wisteria are the plants that get the most Japanese beetles.

[@roverinosnarkman7240]

Quick tip: if you squish some, the pheromones are released and you’ll get a ton of them landing on that area. Never squish them near or on a plant you care about. Over the years, I’ve learned that they will eat anything. Initially, I was angry and would squish them on the leaves of the tree or bush, only to find a whole bunch there the next morning. Then I started flicking them into a bucket of soapy water that I left under the tree. Well the next day there were hundreds on that particular tree. The first ones release a scent that tells the others that there are lots of dudes and babes there who want to party. Whatever plant that happens on will attract hordes the next day. They don’t like diatomaceous earth sprinkled on the leaves or Kaolin Clay spray (surround is the one I use). Mine don’t care about neem oil spray or hot peppers or garlic or various scented herbal sprays or any other weird herbal/natural thing I tried (except the rabbits, possums and gophers etc didn’t like it). Squirrels did keep eating everything regardless, and the birds don’t care about any of these sprays either, btw.

[@marks4745]

A few years ago I used a trap to gather them up and I actually filled a 5 gallon bucket with beetles, yes I probably pulled them in from all over the neighborhood, but the FOLLOWING year I had almost none.

[@jeremyprovence4942]

Milky spore disease is quite effective as part of the pest management for this beetle.

[@wendieking4184]

Adding a Japanese Beetle trap brought on a full infestation, in my yard. ( we followed the instructions to the letter.) A Japanese Beetle trap cost me a few hundred dollars in plants. I have drowned thousands of those ( swear word) bugs. Spending every day from noon until 4 going out and picking them off my flowers. They just arrived here last year when roses were gifted. The roses are heading for our city compost. I don’t support introducing new pests, ( Australia is a prime example of that run amuck) but I live in Canada where that’s a concern. Grub Be Gone next week and next spring, no doubt to continuing it next August and fall. I’ve spent money on companion planting and picked JBs off every one of them. I have no plants that the JB didn’t at least try by eating a hole in them. You have fruit trees but for those who don’t, it’s roses and everything else as flowers get more and more holes. Leave the investigation to science. Everyone says pick them off. How 24/7? I was vigilant and they decimated all of my flower garden and a lot of my vegetable garden as well. Time to try chemicals.

[@jrae6608]

Trap should be at least a mile away, so if in town does not work

[@kooale]

Stefan, Re: your closing concept - we think people come to you for solutions, not for the broadest possible generalizations like 'study your plant' (which aspects exactly) or 'dig deeper' (for what exactly?) or 'ask more questions" (which ones?). We don't all own & operate orchards, we're guessing few of your viewers do! Nice to be informed about the life cycle of the beetle & some treatment cautions, thanks.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Good point Ken, for most videos nowadays I can sprinkle some specifics but the aim is to keep it more general as we are looking for a broader audience and introduce them to ideas of permaculture. I’ll try to do more sprinkling.

[@tedblackburn8679]

What a coincidence , I saw one today on my pepper plant. I didn't know what it was with that strange metallic sheen on the shell. Thanks for the info. Have a nice day. 🤠

[@willcabamba8262]

If you find some plants that the beetle is not eating, pull off some of those leaves and blend them in water,let it set overnight,strain into a sprayer and spray make your plants that the beetle is eating look like the plant that they don't like.

[@cbak1819]

What I noticed in my area is that they're in my containers. This year because I did the due diligence for three years eliminating them by soapy, water bucket. I've only had six or seven in my entire yard.

[@robertjanez7467]

exactly, you need to walk about with a pale of soapy water and tap them in. my start up orchard was devasted by them my 1st summer (5 years ago). I bought those lure traps (bad decision!!) as it just attracted more from the county. Birds didn't eat them. I bought expensive nematodes 2nd summer. = no result the following year. 3rd summer started off very bad again, but i stopped using lure traps and have had them under control the past 2 summers. You need to walk about and tap them into the pale. I would spend more time helping defend younger trees with less foliage. larger trees can sustain some damage. They seem to gather on a few leaves -> easier to tap them in when they gather in bunches. I always like squeezing a few if I don't have my pale around me 24/7, and its a good stress relief.

[@renedeepwater7209]

Dont squeeze Releases pheromone and attracks more

[@marynunn1708]

Appreciate the John Kempf plant health pyramid reference. Presence of pests are indicator that you’re not yet growing a healthy plant. Raise the plant sap brix level above 14 and no more pests or diseases. How do I do that? Address the missing (or excess) nutrients and then increase your poor/low soil biology issue using the 6 soil health principles.

[@Tamara_1776]

I found a couple on my corn last week so I sprinkled them with DE. This year in my garden I have mixed kaolin clay and DE with water in my pump sprayer. It's been very successful in keeping insect pressure down. Everything from cucumber beetles, japanese beetles, those crazy little white moths (people think they're butterflies) and more. None of these like the clay or the DE. IF, by chance, one does land on the spray that has dried, the DE will dehydrate them. All natural and very effective!

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Be careful with DE on soil supposedly damaging to earthworms

[@garystew2077]

I've just been hand picking them off my plants and putting them in soapy water. I used the traps last year and those worked well, but I think also attracted more to my yard. They definitely target certain plants (not just plants that are stressed). They love my roses, rose of sharon, hardy hibiscus, butterfly bushes, marigolds, zinnias, blackberries, and raspberries. I'm sure they like other plants too, but these are the ones I have that they seem to target. Some plants that they leave alone are my weigela, peony, hydrangea, azalea, lilac, aucuba, hosta, sedum, astilbe...

[@GSDsforever]

Third year of these beetles. Destroyed the almond trees first, then grapevines (worst), then apples and plums. They also loved my zinnia flowers. I collect them morning and night and feed to the chickens. It's crazy how they are so many this year. I thought it was this area getting out of drought and having wonderful spring and summer rains that multiplied their numbers. Now I think it's the grubs finally hatching this third year, right? They sure did a lot of damage in east Kansas. Thank you for this video!!! Great info!

[@Kat-Knows]

Definitely diversify in ur gardening plants. i so agree. Thank u for this video.

[@pintsizestories196]

You are the first KZbinr I've seen to mention wild birds as predators of insects in the garden. Thank you! I have good habitat for a variety of wild birds on my small 2 acre property and I have very few insect problems. One year I had a few Japanese beetles but now none even though they are in our area of Ontario.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

That is awesome! Or is it sad that more channels don’t tell you this.

[@anniegaddis5240]

My vegetable garden is organically grown, and unfortunately I live in a farm area that does NOT grow organically. Once the bugs FIND a garden like mine, they come back worse every year, because its the ONLY place to get really GOOD food. Grrr

[@saffron1996]

same 😔

[@edmartin875]

Reminds me of the problems farmers had in the 1800s. Farming back then could be a chancy exercise. I think all bugs to them were called locusts, which is still a common name for grasshoppers.

[@hazel555]

In my NE WI acre those hordes of rotten beetles especially love the hazel shrubs, grape leaves, green bean leaves, apricot, plum, and apple leaves, butternut, currant, and elder leaves, and roses. What they don't bother is the ginko, squash, herbs, pear, corn, oak, dogwood, evergreens. I remember seeing them all over our peonies in Connecticut 65 years ago , but not in Wisconsin until recent years.

[@thepangwin902]

They absolutely love Hibiscus.

[@rebeccam1392]

My purple leaf sand cherry was covered in them yesterday. When I sprayed it, they were flying off in hoards. Usually they attack my roses, but this year until now I haven't seen many of them. I have tons of flowers, but they only seem to bother my roses and sand cherry tree.

[@Ritsumei30]

I'd love to hear more about the coddling moths: what they indicate, how you control them. I've a couple apple trees and now a pear in my backyard, and those moths are my nemisis!

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Pick up drops or better yet have some fowl that do it for you. This will help break the cycle. Also use compost made or mixed with basalt rock dust to boost the trees immunity.

[@wesbaumguardner8829]

When I was a kid growing up, they invaded our back yard and were everwhere. I got an old tennis racket and started wacking them. They became scarce pretty quick.

[@thatguychris5654]

Plant diversity doesn't help much. I have 1 to 3 specimens of each of the following that they hit hard at different times: - Raspberry - Almond - Hazelnut - Azalea - Sassafras - Blackberry - Plum - Cherry - Butterfly bush - Corn (small patch of 100) From my research, it seems that this beetle eats over 1700 varieties of common plants. From personal experience, they avoid aromatics like rosemary and other herbs, garlic and leeks, and sunflower (possibly the bio chemicals inside). We've had them here for over 20 years and still no predators or parasites mess with them (exception is guinea fowl but they're not native in Virginia)

[@julie-annepineau4022]

Since moving here I have only seen one or 2 of them. They like a wild invasive plant on my border that I have a bird feeder next to. Pretty sure all the song birds eat them before they make it past the border. Fingers crossed that continues to be the case as I have raspberries, roses and grapes now.

[@davidhollfelder9940]

We’ve had Japanese Beetles in the northeast over 50 years ago. We found them mostly in rose petals.

[@ashleycampbell8767]

I’ve noticed the same. Maybe 10 years ago or so, they blew up. They ate my okra really bad. Now, I really rarely see them. We have a great bird population and I figure they take advantage of them.

[@babyfaceJackson]

Japanese beetles affect in Missouri, our apple trees, plum trees, sweet potatoes, green beans, corn frons(for heirloom blue corn meal and pop corn), have even seen them on my basil. But they are not on our wild plums, peaches, Asian pears, and Chinese long beans. They don't go after the Asian varieties of anything, mostly on English varieties.

[@chrisnestor7219]

I don’t recall a time when there weren’t Japanese Beetles. I used to catch them by the jarful as a preschooler in Norfolk, VA. I’m 71 years old.

[@TrickleCreekFarm]

This is what I noticed in my yard this year. (New property and I’ve been building the soils with gusto, but it’s acres.) The newest garden beds have been hardest hit, the beds now on their second season were built up better and the plants less appealing to the much bigger onslaught this year. We also have a bigger population of lightning bugs and a wider variety of other pollinators this year with a bigger group of wild birds as well! Many flower growers have found success with foliar sprays of diluted molasses to increase mineral uptake and brix numbers.

[@DSmith-kb3fr]

They stress out my rose bushes yearly.

[@lelyluck]

They took over my oak leaf hydrangeas a whole hedge A black crepe Myrtle, A baby Japanese maple elm tree over 12 ft tall My local nursery was hit. I’m scared for next year.

[@edmartin875]

Get and use the Milky Spore cure. It will take several years but it is effective.

[@darlene5621]

When i was little & lived in Tennessee mts, im almost 75 now i remember catching them we kids called them "june bugs" & I decided to put sewing thread on one of their legs & i made my own "remote control" toy it was fun🤣😉 & no such existed then i was only 9 then 🤔🤔humm, i would've patented it🤣🤣good memories fun times truly the good ole days & i didnt know it😉

[@RitaE61]

These are not June Bugs.

[@darlene5621]

@@RitaE61 I was 9 yrs old give me a freaking brake🙄🙄you miss the whole point of the post---geez🤨🤨🤨

[@tmontero8492]

Surprising Stefan, that you didn't even mention MILKY SPORE. Applied properly, this bacterium effectively kills the Japanese beetle grubs and is safe. Worked great for me.

[@DSj-f8h]

Just started having them about 5 years ago in Northern California

[@edmartin875]

I first noticed Japanese Beatles in the 80s in Eastern Virginia. I thought they were just smaller versions of the June Bug. June Bugs look like Japanese Beatles but are 4 or 5 times bigger. And they love to eat apples. My dad had a large variety of fruit trees, and I don't know what else the June Bug ate because for my short period on the home farm, in the 70s, I spent it haunting the apple trees with a pellet gun, shooting June Bugs.

[@mainetuatara]

I planted a japanese willow as an indicator for them and spray it with B.T. as soon as they emerge. This gets them before they hit the hops and rose bushes. Next year I plan to spray the lawn with milky spore and see how that works.

[@roccoconte2960]

I figured out why I first planted Blueberry bushes 25 yrs ago now I have many birds .

[@brianlogan4907]

purple martins. I use to have Beatles i have a blue and blackberry farm. Martins are the answer

[@stardust-rv7mr]

Four years ago we tried the traps, i would have to say they work great, we drew every beetles in the area, caught ten pounds of them every day. then the next year we decided not to use the traps, best move we could make, not nearly so many of them. So to discourage them we build a high tunnel hoop house and put every thing that they like inside, and it works great, no infection on our plants now. i would also add that we put up many sparrow house, for they do eat these beetles.

[@tg_ny]

It seems that everyone who gardens has to deal with them. This year they ate my tender salvias, my zinnias and my hardy hibiscus for the first time. I had to put out extra traps as a result.

[@dana102083]

*in your local area. This is on the world.wide web ;)

[@MarkBianchi-ez9xr]

I think my main issue is that I have a huge variety of very appetizing plants and many of my neighbors do not. I also actively have trapped probably thousands, used beneficial nematodes and used the soap bucket of water. My neighbors do none of those things either.

[@robertpaul50n]

I have 9 cherry cultivars in my orchard, and about half of them were badly hit this year. The other half are completely fine. The difference seems to be some have big, soft leaves that burn in the hot sun of the deep south, and the others have smaller, waxier leaves that fare better in the heat/UV. Next year, I'm getting shade cloth, should help reduce stress so the immune system can repel pests better. I also heard that wild blackberry and virginia creeper are preffered nesting weed. I have a ton of wild blackberry on my land, I thought it was cool. Next season I'm chopping it all down.

[@matthewtaylor2185]

Central Kentucky here, they lace all the leaves on black locust trees. Ive seen them all over my raspberries and blackberries, but i havent seen significant damage on those.

[@diminudivadollhaus2097]

They eat my ripening apples by burrowing in from the top and sometimes you can see their rear ends sticking out of the top.

[@andys3138]

They love my apple trees, probably as many as 10 per Apple sometimes

[@SuperWiz666]

I'm surprised that you didn't mention nematodes or milky spores... I've been using nematodes when they show up, usually gives me a couple years. They of course lay eggs in my neighbor's lawns, so they reappear. This year I put in a couple plum trees, they did quite a bit of damage. They're always happy to devour my grapes, and I have even some damage to some small white oaks. When they eat the leaves, they or the leaves, emit a scent which is basically a "come here and eat," so removing damaged leaves could help.

[@belamoure]

You are right this year I noticed that the JB were less present in some part of my bucket garden. They concentrated though on my Rose Bush - not a pretty sight. I squash them by hand and fast because they are evasion masters !!! Like you I refuse to use any mix of hard commercial chemicals. My mix is soap dish dash of vinegar and water.

[@BiddahSweet]

They are right here in my yard in West Virginia. They were coming out of the ground when I started my garden. I seen one crawl out of its hole in the tilled up dirt. Was pretty cool. I also saw a Cicada covered in dirt and keep wondering if they go under the dirt during the day or night or something?

[@ann-sofienilsson9400]

Thanks, I didn't know what they were called I had lots of them in the garden some years ago but it´s much better now. I have a blackbird male that is monitoring everything that is going on in the garden and some years ago I trow some grubs from the gardenbed on the lawn and he took them. After that lots of other birds have started to do the same they. go looking for them in the gardenbeds and on the lawn several times a day.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Sounds like first hand experience in local birds learning about Japanese beetles.

[@UWish0430]

I live in a wooded area in central Ohio and I've never seen one or these beetles... yet.

[@pdloder]

Thanks - I was confusing them with flies and mosquitos until you told me that beetles were neither of those things.

[@mikej70]

Beetles and or catepillars can devour plants in hours or overnight if you have a problem dont wait

[@MrToad-actual]

Thank you, Stefan.

[@kbjerke]

They're currently *DESTROYING* my raspberries!!

[@breesechick]

Take them off. One day I was outside and all I had was a cup of water I was drinking and just plucked off the Japanese beetles into the cup and just started working on filling it that container. After about a week or two and I got to a point that didn't see the Japanese Beatles anymore

[@kaymack5304]

They’ve destroyed 2 lawns for me as well as some landscape islands besides eating my garden.

[@KelleyStrzelczyk]

They liked my apple tree a couple years ago.

[@doreengarnhart7374]

one of the BEST VIDEOS I have seen about this nasty beetle!!

[@vickisavage8929]

This is my first year gardening in new ground that’s mostly rocks, which are my #1 crop. Nothing around me has been sprayed with anything and, while there are some JBs, there are more than enough predators to keep them in check. I almost wish they would tackle the wild grapes, which are trying to take over.

[@kimberlyhughes4515]

I live in N.E. Ohio. They're worse this year than I've seen them in a long time, but they're targeting mostly my strawberries and New Guinea Impatiens. Grrrrrr! I check those plants every morning and pick the beetles off and...straight into a coffee can of soapy water. If you just knock them off, they'll very quickly burrow into the soil😮.

[@helenswan705]

I looooove your totally holistic approach. it is so similar to homeopathy - I am a registered homeopath in UK.

[@MommaT1970]

Yep…don’t put up the traps…ask me how I know😭😭😭 Made that mistake our first year on our new homestead. We are now on year 4, and they are still pretty darn bad. We netted all our peach trees and apple trees except for one …that poor tree lost every single leaf. Netted our okra too. I think our birds are just now starting to eat them 🙏🏻 Hopefully better next year. Next pest problem to overcome…Mexican bean beetles…ugh!!!

[@jrae6608]

Pick them early in the morning, they don’t fly away

[@ptrain9020]

In my area they love apples. Specifically they love the leaves of the apple tree

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Try giving some mixed compost and basalt rock dust to the trees to boost their immune system. See my soil videos.

[@lmandrakepoe]

They are very attracted to my chestnut tree pollen and I believe that draws them from all around the neighborhood. We have been feeding the grubs to bluebirds for years so that the birds see us digging and hang around waiting for us to fill the dish we put them in. We thought about grub-ex but are concerned about the environmental impact. How about milky spore?

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Nice on the grubs, ive never tried spores. I prefer the birds.

[@airplanegeorge]

in NJ, in the late 1950s, the neighbors would pay us kids to catch them, 1 dollar per coke bottle full. That was a lot of candy back then. and a lot of Beetles!

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Yup amazing what a dollar could buy.

[@emptynestgardens9057]

Every apple tree and all my grapes decimated this year. Too many to hand pick, I just gave up. Will be using grub control thus fall and next Spring. They literally killed my gardening joy this year.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

It happens

[@MariannMay]

95% of the beetles in my yard are on a virginia creeper at the back corner of my property. Even a cherry tree 5 feet away would maybe get a couple of strays. About once or twice a season I'll shake them off into a bucket of soapy water, that seems to be enough to stop them from spilling over.

[@steveg9939]

I wonder where I am situated in the cycle…They sure keep me busy this summer! My chickens are happy but I am the one hand picking them. I haven’t seen birds go after them. Fingers crossed they will start. They eat my cherries, grapes, plum in that order. Cultivars doesn’t seem to matter.

[@BiLuOma]

I got 4 different grape plants and those beetles are only on 2 of them. Those 2 are sweeter and earlier ripening than the others. These beetles are also on my raspberry bushes. I found out that raccoons like Japanese beetles and their grubs. I see raccoons every night digging near my grapes and raspberries.

[@LittleJordanFarm]

Great info ...thanks...is Sir Albert Howard your favorite botanist; or is there others you like? Stay well thanks again for info. I stopped messing with my beetles about 3 yrs ago. I hand picked them then. Now that you mention thos I've noticed they aren't as thick thos yr.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

The Classics of organic farming: Howard, Farmers of 40 Centuries, Elliot Coleman, Tree Crops (Russel Smith). More recently I've really been learning about the recent discoveries on John Kempf's podcast: Regenerative Agriculture Podcast.

[@LittleJordanFarm]

@@StefanSobkowiak cool thanks

[@staceyallard2692]

I appreciated this video & information very much. Thank you. New subscriber here. I live and have a garden in Southwest Michigan.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Thanks for the sub!

[@ProsperousLife4All]

I had a skunk recently come through and dig the grubs up from the lawn. Maybe the bettles won't be as bad next year.

[@martinphilip8998]

In central Illinois they hit hard when they first arrived. They don’t seem to be such a problem now. Most birds don’t go after them because of their tarsal hooks. I miss the U pick blueberry farm that closed down. I filled two water bottles in about 10 minutes. (I didn’t know that about the birds learning to eat them. thanks)

[@amandamartinez3233]

They loved my zinnias this year!

[@theleefamily6446]

The Japanese Beetles in my area love my plum, cherry, filbert, grapes and this year I found them on my Fireglow Japanese maple. It was odd because they ignored my roses and other japanese maples. My entire tree guild is full all day sun and I receive significant poison runoff from my residential neighbor. I'm not sure why I am even doing this. Maybe it's time to give up. My children don't want to go outside because you can smell the pesticides.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

That should be banned, cosmetic use of pesticides is just crazy.

[@gabriellakadar]

Starlings. Every year toward the end of the growing season, flocks of starlings show up and 'aerate' the grassways at the allotments in Toronto. They work together in large groups walking along pecking into the grass. They do an excellent job of eating grubs. I've seen a couple of Japanese beetles probably in 2019, but other than that, zero. We don't get June Bugs either. Seems the Starlings do a great job of finding grubs. Nobody eats Cucumber beetles..... or Squash bugs. Starlings are not native either.

[@joehoffman5308]

I have used the spectracide bag a bug traps in the past. Absolutely decimated the population in my neighborhood. 👍

[@HoosierDaddy_]

This year for me in 6a central Indiana has been pretty light on the Japanese beetles. I had a handful on some hardy hibiscus, which they love, but only a few and they seemed to disappear recently. I do hate those little critters though, lol.

[@cangel201]

Why are they in my yard? Because no neighbor in my 2 miles neighborhood has any fruit trees, vegetables or flowers PLUS they all have the grass companies coming to spray their lawns. Our is all organic, that’s why!

[@JoeA1974]

Indicators of what?

[@fvrrljr]

*I LOOKED FOR THIS COMMENT* *i was thinking of DOOM, this was the biggest clickbait, yes i watched this stupid video made me angry* i even did a google search and NADA

[@TheRugghead]

I get these buggers every year. They love my pond, but they're dumb, they smack a window and die on the concrete