Anyone use milky spore?
 

I saw an add for milky spore for use as a Japanese beetle killer.

Anyone heard of this? We have HORDES of june bugs and I wondering if this is a worthwhile product?????

Re: Anyone use milky spore?
 

I tried it last spring and it says it takes up to a year to spread through the lawn so I do not have definitive results as it has been less than a year.

However, I am still finding beetle grubs in my vegetable garden, which is what I was mainly trying to eliminate. I think it is working though because they are not the healthy fat ugly grubs I am used to finding.

We have terrible beetles here also, which you really will not have much luck with unless you get your whole neighborhood in on the project.

Re: Anyone use milky spore?
 

It's the only long term solution for Japanese bettles. The "hord" came thru here in the mid 70's, and the local agricultural extension service ordered milky spore in 55gal drums and sold it for cost to get a lot of it out....it worked.....rarely even see a beetle anymore.

But as DLM points out, if only you put it out, it will take a long time to be effective....but you may as well start. It's a one time application, by the way....

Re: Anyone use milky spore?
 

I have the dubvious distinction of being on tn and a 's ignore list(you still ignoring me?) but always be carefull with pesticides(bugs),herbicides-not so much.

Re: Anyone use milky spore?
 

Milky spore is not a pesticide...it is Paenibacillus popilliae (formerly Bacillus popilliae) is a soil-dwelling, Gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium. It is responsible for a disease (commonly called milky spore) of the white grubs of Japanese beetles. Milky Spore in the soil is not harmful to beneficial insects, birds, bees, pets or man; and Milky Spore like other bacteria is highly survivable in cold and drought conditions. It is only harmful to Japanese beetles

Re: Anyone use milky spore?
 

I've used it. It won't work in the end unless you apply it on every lawn in your neighborhood. It will eventually reduce the grubs on your property, but it doesn't deter all of the beetles that just exited your neighbor's lawn from coming on over to the free buffet at your house.

Re: Anyone use milky spore?
 

Possibly a combination of milky spore and beetle traps on the perimeter of your property to catch the ones coming from other yards. If you use the traps, be sure to hang them a good distance from the garden or other plants you want to protect.

Re: Anyone use milky spore?
 

My neighbor turned me onto milky spore because we also have the beetles all over. We both applied it around our gardens and yard last summer. Good to hear it will start working in a year or so. We should see a difference this summer. Those beetles seem to love my okra leaves the most.