Japanese Beetles, Milky Spore and Soil Inoculation

Japanese Beetles (Popillia japonica) were first spotted in the US in 1916. It is believed that they were accidentally imported in Japanese iris bulbs and found their way to a nursery in New Jersey. Since that time, these voracious pests have steadily moved south and westward leaving a swath of damage in their wake. The adult beetles damage the leaves of more than 300 different kinds of plants, while their larvae love the roots of turf grasses, vegetables and ornamental plants as they move up through the soil and pupate into adulthood.

One of the great (and scary) things in nature is that every living thing on the planet has a natural enemy – or two. Even more amazing is that many natural enemies are specific to their targeted prey. In the world of bio-rational controls, this is especially remarkable. One of the great benefits of bio-rational controls in the garden or crop is that they target one family or species of pest and leave all the others – particularly the beneficial insects – alone.

Milky Spore (Paenibacillus popilliae, formerly Bacillus popilliae) falls into the category of bio-rational controls because of its target specificity. While there is no evidence that it will help to control other white, C-shaped grubs, it is a powerhouse treatment for control of the grub (larval stage) of the Japanese beetle. Milky Spore ticks all the safety boxes – it will not harm humans or other mammals, reptiles, aquatic life, or plant material. Click here for more information on the main ingredient in Milky Spore.

Milky Spore Can Inoculate the Soil for Up To 20 Years

Many controls for pest insects require repeated applications with no end to it in sight. Milky Spore, however, has the added benefit of inoculating the soil after several applications. What this means is that the soil will carry enough of the bacillus that any grubs that hatch in the area will not survive.  Depending upon your climate, fully inoculating the soil can take between 1 and 5 years.

• In warm climates inoculation requires 1 – 3 annual applications.
• In colder climates inoculation requires 3 – 5 annual applications.

Milky Spore begins working as soon as applied so long as grubs are feeding. This means spring and autumn applications of Milky Spore are most effective because the grubs are most active at that time. Don’t forget that beneficial nematodes are great for seasonal control of the Japanese Beetle. They are effective on a broad range of in-soil pest insects and they will help to more effectively distribute the powder form of Milky Spore.

The cause of death from P. popilliae is not fully understood. The most likely cause is from starvation as the bacterial cells grow in the grub’s hemolymph - the blood-like fluid in invertebrates. The already milky looking grubs become even milkier looking and fail to mature.

Damage from Japanese Beetles

Milky Spore is available in powder and a new granular formulation. The granular product is applied using a hand spreader or a drop spreader. The powder formulation can be applied with a dispenser tube or for small areas, by the teaspoonful spaced in a checkerboard pattern every 4 feet. 

Community use of Milky Spore will help to most effectively reduce the population of the Japanese beetle in your area. Remember, the adult beetles are not affected by the Milky Spore and by their nature are highly mobile – they will be moving into your area throughout the summer months. The more of your neighbors who inoculate their soil, the better the control will be. 

Posted by Deb N.

A New Option for Turf & Citrus Pest Control - S. riobrave

ARBICO is excited to announce the launch of our newest species of beneficial nematodes – Steinernema riobrave! 

Compatible with other varieties of nematodes, S. riobrave has shown fantastic results in controlling white grubs, citrus weevil, plum curculio and other hard to treat pest insects affecting the citrus and turf industries. They are also useful for controlling pests in apiaries, home gardens and monocultured areas where crop- or species-specific pests are present.

Is It The Right Species For You?

While it does not go after the same range of pests as S. feltiae, many common pests can be controlled with S. riobrave. Some have even shown higher mortality rates when infected with S. riobrave than other commonly used species. These include:

• Armyworm
• Black Cutworms
• Black Vine Weevil

S. riobrave Beneficial Nematodes

• Chafers
• Citrus Root Weevil (Diaprepes Root Weevil)
• Corn Earworm
• Greater Wax Moth
• Indian Meal Moth
• Japanese Beetle Grub
• Masked Chafer
• May/June Beetle
• Mole Crickets
• Pink Bollworm
• Plum Curculio
• Red Flour Beetle
• Small Hive Beetle
• Strawberry Weevil
• Subterranean Termites

If you are treating for any of the listed pests, S. riobrave will help you in that task.
Similar to our four other nematode species, S. riobrave nematodes attack the immature, soil-dwelling stages of their target pests. For that reason, they need to be sprayed into the soil for most applications. Timing applications properly is still important to maximize infection rates and prevent damage to the crops being treated. We encourage you to call us if you are unsure about the best time to apply nematodes for a particular pest or have questions about the nematodes themselves.

Beneficial nematodes work best when integrated with other pest management approaches, so don’t neglect the simple stuff. Whether it is trapping, knockdown sprays, proper monitoring, etc. our team of biocontrol specialists is happy to discuss the best ways to achieve control in your area. Contact us by phone or send your pest control questions to drbuglady@arbico.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Nature Abhors A Vacuum: Why Continuity Matters in the Garden

You may have heard the term “continuity program” if you have ever ordered beneficial insects from ARBICO. You may have also asked, “What does that even mean?”. 

In the context of using beneficial insects, continuity refers to a continuous schedule of releases. As an important part of a well-planned integrated pest management program multiple, sequential releases of beneficial insects can make the difference between success and failure.

While many issues can be prevented by using proper cultural growing practices, every healthy garden will have some pest insects. We can't have the beneficials if they don't have the pests to consume. If they are causing significant damage, action must be taken. 

For the purpose of this blog, we will use the example of how to control aphids in the garden with beneficial insects and the importance of continuity to achieve successful control.

Green Lacewing Life-cycle

So, we've identified that we have aphids and want to use some good bugs to fight them. One of the best predators in nature is the Green Lacewing - nicknamed the Aphid Lion for good reason.

If we can build up a sustainable population, green lacewing are our best bet to control the problem throughout the growing season. It is important to note the biology of our chosen treatment.

Adult green lacewing and their pupae do not feed on pests - the newly hatched larvae are exceptional predators. Understanding the benefits of each life stage and how they play into continual releases (a continuity schedule) of the green lacewing makes a difference in how successful we will be. 

The following steps are an example of how to put together a continual release program using green lacewing eggs:

It’s Not Too Late To Prevent Summer Diseases!

The warmth and humidity that comes with summer creates the perfect conditions for plant diseases to thrive. Poor soil fertility, unbalanced environmental conditions and pest infestations are all channels that invite fungi, viruses and bacteria to weaken or kill plants. You can get ahead of these problems by actively choosing preventative solutions, even at the height of summer. Some of these biorational solutions actually work best when used pro-actively to suppress diseases. Now is a great time to treat before a problem becomes a crisis! 

Biorational solutions (those utilizing beneficial or symbiotic fungi and bacteria) are an economical and highly effective option against a wide range of foliar and soil diseases. You will get the best possible results before the onset of symptoms, but if symptoms are already present, simply begin treatment as soon as possible. 

We offer many choices in biorationals here at ARBICO Organics, including:

• Trichoderma harzianum, strain T-22. This patented fungus utilizes several methods to suppress fungal diseases. Principally, it forms a physical bond with the root system of the plants to establish itself in the root zone and thereby prevent other pathogens from colonizing the soil. The RootShield® line of products has this fungus as its active ingredient. They are all OMRI Listed and come in a variety of formulations and sizes to best suit your personal needs.
• RootShield Granules 
• RootShield Plus Granules
• RootShield WP
• RootShield Plus WP

Beneficial Nematodes - What Products are They Compatible With?

Our ARBICO Organics Beneficial Nematodes are one of our most popular and most effective controls for a wide-range of insect pests. These live microscopic organisms (non-segmented round worms) occur naturally in soil throughout the world. They are parasitic to insect pests that typically have a developing (larval or pupal) stage of life in the soil; however, they have been known to parasitize above ground stages of adults, nymphs and larvae. Beneficial nematodes can be used around and will not harm mammals, aquatic life, birds, reptiles or amphibians.


One of their best features is that they are extremely easy to use with other pest and weed control treatments! Beneficial nematodes can be used in conjunction with a variety of traditional chemical pest controls products and of course, natural products (listed below). In some cases, combining treatments is even synergistic, increasing the effectiveness of both modes of control!
Below is a list of common chemical ingredients used in pest control and their compatibility with nematodes. Additionally, most of the environmentally friendly products we offer are compatible! 


COMPATIBLE:
Azadirachtin (AzaGuard, AzaSol, Azera, Molt X)
Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Aquabac, Mosquito Bits/Dunks, Mosquito Beater)
Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Thuricide, DiPel, Monterey Btk)
Benomyl (Spectracide Immunox Garden Fungicide, DuPont Benlate Fungicide)
Bifenthrin (Ortho Home Defense, Scotts Lawn Pro)
Bromine-chlorine
Chlorothalonil (Fung-onil Multi Purpose Fungicide Concentrate, Ferti-Lome Broad Spectrum Landscape and Garden Fungicide, Daconil, Echo)
Copper hydroxide (Captan Fungicide, CuPro 5000)
Cyflutrin (Tempo Fungicide, Cy-Kick Insecticide)
Cypermethrin (Raid Cockroach)
Diatomaceous Earth
Dienochlor
Diflubenzuron (Dimilin)
Esfenvalerate (Conquer Insecticide, FenvaStar EcoCap)
Etridiazole (Koban, Terrazole)
Fatty acids
Fenoxycarb
Fluvalinate
Fosetyl-Aluminum (Prodigy)
Glyphosphate (Round-Up, Monterey Remuda)
Imidacloprid (synergistic with nematodes – Premier, maxforce, Merit)
Iprodione (ProTurf Fungicide X)
Kinoprene
Metalaxyl
Methidathion
Methoprene (Precor, Fleatrol, Altosid)
Nicotine sulfite
Oryzalin
Pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB)
Permethrin (Nix)
Pyrethrins (PyGanic, Azera Gardening, Monterey Take Down Spray)
Rotenone
Thiophanate-methyl (Allban formerly known as Fungo)
Triadimefon 
Vinclozolin (ProTurf Fungicide VII)
Wide range of soluble fertilizers
Essential Oils

USE ONE WEEK BEFORE/AFTER:
Anilazine
Benzalkonium chloride
Fenarimol
Furalaxyl
Mercurous chloride
2, 4-D (Amine, Monterey Weed Whacker)
Triclorpyr
Malathion (Spectracide, Ortho Max)
Azinphos-methyl
Bendiocarb
Methomyl

USE TWO WEEKS BEFORE/AFTER:
Carbofuran
Ethoprop
Isazophos
Fenamiphos
Oxamyl


After application, the nematodes immediately get to work finding pests to parasitize and kill. Once inside, the nematodes produce a bacteria toxic to their hosts that kills them within 24-48 hours. These beneficial nematodes are amazing in so many ways, and their resilience lends itself to being just one more reason that they are so popular with gardeners and growers of all kinds.

We believe in arming our customers with the information needed to make organic pest control successful. You probably have questions that are not answered in this post, so we encourage you to call us at 1-800-827-2847 or email us at drbuglady@arbico.com if you do!