Get out your helmet and spray gun ‘cause it’s time to go to war! The Japanese beetle landed on our shores in 1916. This accidental tourist grew in numbers to become public enemy number one because our homeland was devoid of its natural predators, parasites and insect diseases which naturally acted as an effective counter-balance. With no natural predators the Japanese beetle grew unchecked and spread as a slow plague across the U.S.
The natural enemy of the beetle is a bacterial organism that produces a fatal blood disease in the grub. Since it causes an abnormal white coloring in the infected insects, this was named “milky” disease. In 1933, a team of government entomologists isolated this biological means of controlling the beetles. They came up with a method of producing the milky disease organism in the laboratory. Unfortunately for us consumers, the patent for the process is owned and licensed by the Department of Agriculture, making milky spore powder expensive.
How it works is amazing. Grubs of the Japanese beetle are hatched and live in the ground (they especially love lawn turf), until they mature as adult, winged beetles. All through their grub stage, they can be attacked by the milky diseases the strongest being Bacillus popilliae. When a grub feeds, it ingests some of the spindle-shaped spores which are 1/4600th of an inch long. The spores attack the grub’s blood and as the grub succumbs to the spores, its’ blood turns white. When the grub invariably dies, the spores which fill the body cavity are left in the soil, (this is an outstanding example of recycling!!). They will be taken up by other grubs as they feed and these receive the spores too. Over time, the number of spores in the soil increase, more and more grubs are killed and fewer beetles emerge.
Since this treatment tests out to be from 80 to 90 percent effective, why are we still plagued with this problem? One answer is a lack of education on how amazing this product works. The new clerk at my Buchheit store had never heard of Milky Spore powder and was surprised at the $38.99 price tag. But once you realize that it takes only one full application, the onetime cost becomes reasonable. If neighbors get together and do all their lawns, the Japanese beetles could be eliminated from their lawns and gardens.
I plan on using Milky spore power at the new farm but it was not feasible for the 2+ acres of greenspace at 7 E’s Homestead. When you realize how much devastation is caused by Japanese beetles, it makes it easier to fork over the funds for this effective treatment.
Here are some photos the damage caused by this year’s invasion of Japanese beetles.
Japanese beetles eating blackberries.
Japanese beetles were eating their way down this tree until Jim applied a spray.
There are simple ways to treat Japanese beetles until you can apply the milky spore powder and I will touch on them another day. Remember that the easy way is hard enough when you are homesteading! Take time to walk with your partner in the moonlight soon…OK so you’re both too tried…at least hug and tell him or her one thing you like about them. Kindness is cool. Annie May
