natural pest control

i have been doing much research on natural ways to control bugs in the garden and lawn. i don’t want to use insecticides unless i have to- and besides that- many don’t work long term anyway. take japanese beetles for example. there is an infestation like nobody’s business here in upstate new york- at least here in my neck of the woods. i have them at all three properties and it is evidenced by brown grass that the neighbors do too. for any folks who aren’t familiar with japanese beetles- here’s a brief blurb:

“The #1 lawn pest, Japanese beetles feed on 300 plant species. Native to Japan, Japanese Beetles (Popillia japonica) are rampant in all states east of the Mississippi. Americans spend about $460 million annually in garden pest control and management for the Japanese beetle.”

japanese beetles apparently don’t have any natural predators here in america. my family of robins do like to eat the grubs out of the lawn though. hubby and i tried applying commercial killer to my mom’s yard last year- and it did help the lawn recover but we didn’t really know what we were doing or what we were dealing with. and, the insecticide only lasts a short time. so, when we moved in here and i saw the familiar brown spots in the yard, i knew i had to so some research. what i found- milky spore. yep.

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)

Bt is a naturally occuring bacterium. Apply it to the soil as you would insecticide. (Call your county extension agent to see if it’s available in your area.)

Milky Spore

Milky spore is a bacterium used as an organic control for grubs. Japanese beetles deposit babies into your lawn. You spread the milky spore (bacillus popillae). Grubs ingest it. Spores germinate inside the grub and multiply. The grub dies, and more spores go into your soil. This method works over time. July and early August is the best time for grub control methods since they come to the surface to feed on roots.

you can also get natural parasites to control the population but since they aren’t native- as far as i know- i hesitate to do that. with the milky spore- it is a wee bit more expensive than the commercial insecticide but it is supposed to last up to 15 years. 15 years. yep. so- it’s a natural bacteria that won’t harm my birds or bunnies or butterflies- but kills off the grubs. win-win.

as for the adults, they are a bit tougher. most articles say to pick the adults off as soon as you see them and kill them in a bucket of soap and water. but, i don’t get up early mornings when the damned things are sluggish and i will be damned if i am going to spend my time picking beetles into a bucket. keeping vegetation healthy and rotting vegetation to a minimum and planting plants that they don’t like- is where i am going to start.

“The adults do not like to feed on ageratum, arborvitae, ash, baby’s breath, garden balsam, begonia, bleeding heart, boxwood, buttercups, caladium, carnations, Chinese lantern plant, cockscomb, columbine, coralbells, coralberry, coreopsis, cornflower, daisies, dogwood (flowering), dusty-miller, euonymus, false cypresses, firs, forget-me-not, forsythia, foxglove, hemlock, hollies, hydrangeas, junipers, kale (ornamental), lilacs, lilies, magnolias, maple (red or silver only), mulberry, nasturtium, oaks (red and white only), pines, poppies, snapdragon, snowberry, speedwell, sweet pea, sweet-William, tuliptree, violets and pansy, or yews (taxus).”(per Ohio University)

now, i see why folks plant those kinds of plants if anyone has any other tips- feel free to share.