Organic Bug Prevention
Japanese beetles can some major damage to fruit trees—they can make beautiful, frustrating, lacy holes in the leaves, sometimes defoliate the entire tree, and even eat the fruits. So frustrating!
But, since we’re working with “beyond organic” standards, a chemical pesticide is not for us! If you’re gardening or farming with this same consideration, here are a few tips to help you battle the crazy Japanese beetle infestation that we’ve been battling lately…
🪲 Apply neem oil to both the foliage and beetles, making sure to apply it at the right time of day. Doing it midday can scorch the leaves, so right before dark is a good time. Neem also can also harm beneficial insects, so being selective about application is important!
🪲 Beetle traps available for purchase may be somewhat effective but they should be placed somewhat away from your plants, plus, finding traps can sometimes be difficult during infestation season!
🪲 Good old fashioned bug squishing is certainly an option! A little gross and also time consuming, but also effective! This is best done in the morning when the bugs are a bit sluggish.
🪲 Soapy water! Spraying soapy water on the bugs can be effective, or you can head out to your trees in the early morning to shake the bugs off of the trees in mass into a bucket filled with soapy water. Why soapy water, you ask? A little bit of soap breaks the surface tension of the water, ensuring that the bugs are pulled under the water.
|