Beer Forum

My poor Fuggles and Goldings have been ravaged by Japanese beetles. I went out ot check on them last night it they were swarming over the Fuggles, and the Goldings were geting hit pretty hard too. Strangely, the Cascade weren't touched. Apparently they don't taste good to beetles.

Anyone have experience with this? I went to four stores last night looking for those "beetle bags" and apparently there was a plague ravaging central NY that I wasn't notified about, because everywhere is sold out.

Help! My poor, poor Fuggles...

DO NOT BUY BEETLE TRAPS EVER
They attract significantly more beatles than they can trap and just make it worse next year.
Some sprays are ok but the key is using grub control on your lawn a couple times a year.
BUB

Try the milky spore stuff to control future outbreaks. Other than that, just get the ortho bug killer and spray your hops, nightly if possible.

I've been reluctant to spray my hops with any chemicals. Although right now, I don't have any cones yet. If I spray them with the Ortho bug killer, will I have any problems with the cones? Will I get off flavors in the beer? grow a fourth testicle?

If I don't do something soon though, I wont get any hops from either the Fuggles or Goldings.

Bub, it seems you have strong feelings on the beetle bag traps. I never heard that they can make things worse the next year. Almost everyone in town has those traps out in their lawn.

Thanks guys-

There have been tests about those traps, I got suckered into them too, DON'T DO IT.
Google Japanese Beetle control and you will see plenty of shit
BUB

For a safe spray for your hops, find someone that is trying to kill themselves with cigarettes. Have them collect a coffee can full of cigarette butts. Add water and let it steep a couple days. Strain out the tobacco and spray the "tea" on the bugs. The nicotine is quite toxic to most insects including japanese beetles. Once sprayed on the plants, it does break down quickly and what little residue is left easily washes off during the next rain. I've been doing this on garden veggies for over 30 years with great success. Never leaves a taste of cigarettes on anything.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

I've had a few problems with these buggers myself... I've beend using an insecticidal soap, simmilar to this one with good success.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.gardensafe.com/NR/rdonlyres/9F50BDAD-EDD4-4E55-A19E-6F3DE52CB5F0/0/Insectsoap.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.gardensafe.com/ProductCategories/indoorinsecticide/InsecticidalSoap/&h=205&w=194&sz=10&hl=en&start=5&um=1&tbnid=mzjRDFRQ4Wb-AM:&tbnh=105&tbnw=99&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dinsecticidal%2Bsoap%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us%26sa%3DN

Most of them say that they're safe up to the day of harvest. I've been using them every couple of weeks, or at the first sign of new damage.

I've been using some kind of garden insect spray from Spectracide. It is safe for humans in 24hrs. I also treated the yard with nematodes and that seems to have help cut the population down immensely. Later this year I am also going to use milky spore.

I hate those fucking beetles.

Prost.