It Has Begun!!!

[chickensista]

Yes, please read this post with the Mortal Combat soundtrack in playing in your brain.

The Japanese beetles have descended upon my garden. It is a going to be a hot and long battle with these little $&*&*#! I've collected close to 100 of 'em today.

My revenge? Toss 'em in the fridge for 10min or so to slow them down(don't remember who had the idea, but thank you!) and then toss 'em to the girls. OMG, they are in heaven today. With all the scraps from the garden and all these crunchy bugs. At least they're happy.

My peas and beans are still in mortal danger.

 

[ChuckenGirl]

oh. i hate those things !! i set them on fire :]
i hate when they get on you...

 

[d.k]

* Don't mind, unless they get in my hair. I have a friend who is scared to the point of panicked hysteria of them, though.

 

[Horsewell]

haha, good revenge!

 

[LoneCowboy]

Oh! I just hate those things... YUCK!

I'm having a slug investation around my potato plants any idea on how to handle those? I don't think I want to put them in the freezer

I sent my little black sexlink out after them yesterday, she did a good job, but her beak kept getting all gummed up.

 

[chickensista]

oh. i hate those things !! i set them on fire :]
i hate when they get on you...

ChukenGirl, Do they make pretty color flames?

Before the chickies I enjoyed stepping on them and hearing the crunch. Hate them sooo much. They've really been swarming today and I've had to pick a few off of me. Schtooopid bugs. BTW, I love that Chuck Norris site. Hilarious.

I'm having a slug investation around my potato plants any idea on how to handle those? I don't think I want to put them in the freezer

LoneCowboy, Slugs are nasty too. Slimy buggers. I've found a few this year, but nothing crazy. Which is weird, considering all the rain we've been getting. I think the robins nesting in the yard have done a great job with the grasshoppers and possibly the slugs? If you don't have robins, I've heard beer works. Beer attracts all sorts of animals, doesn't it?

You can buy a cheap plastic trap for them. You put beer on the inside and cover it.... Or you can try a homemade version. I know they sell slug killer, but I prefer to stay away from chemicals.
Once you do catch the slugs, I think you could present them nicely to your girls. Maybe the ants on a stick thing. Put them on a piece of celery so the girls can see them. Don't think you'll need the peanut butter since they are already slimy sticky. blech​

 

[cmcgoun]

MY rose bushes have been killed, along with my summer blooming wisteria, the beetles eat all of the flowers on both of those, I made a trip to Lowes and bought 6 Japanese Beetle traps, and the ones I pick off of my flower, get a little lighter fluid sprinkled on them! And then a match I have a bonfire of beetles everyday. I HATE THEM. Have you ever picked one up they're legs poke you! They are the devils creatures bleh!!!!

From Wikapedia
-he Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica commonly referred to as the jitterbug) is a beetle about 1.5 cm (0.6 inches) long and 1 cm (0.4 inches) wide (smaller in Canada), with shiny copper-colored elytra and a shiny green top of the thorax and head. It is not very destructive in Japan, where it is controlled by natural enemies, but in America it is a serious pest to rose bushes, grapes, canna, crape myrtles, and other plants. It is a weak flyer and drops several centimeters when it hits a wall. Japanese beetle traps therefore consist of a pair of crossed walls with a bag underneath, and are baited with floral scent, pheromone, or both. However, studies done at the University of Kentucky suggest that traps attract more beetles than they actually trap, thus causing more damage than may have occurred were the trap not used.[1]

Japanese beetles have a curious, identifying defense: they lift their hind legs up in the air, even when simply approached. These hind legs are spiny, and the behavior is probably intended to ward off predators.

These insects damage plants by eating the surface material, leaving the veins in place, producing a curious, but alarming to the experienced gardener, "transparent leaf" effect on its victims.

My rendition of what I do to them

 

[kodiakchicken]

Quote:
LoneCowboy, Slugs are nasty too. Slimy buggers. I've found a few this year, but nothing crazy. Which is weird, considering all the rain we've been getting. I think the robins nesting in the yard have done a great job with the grasshoppers and possibly the slugs? If you don't have robins, I've heard beer works. Beer attracts all sorts of animals, doesn't it?

You can buy a cheap plastic trap for them. You put beer on the inside and cover it.... Or you can try a homemade version. I know they sell slug killer, but I prefer to stay away from chemicals.
Once you do catch the slugs, I think you could present them nicely to your girls. Maybe the ants on a stick thing. Put them on a piece of celery so the girls can see them. Don't think you'll need the peanut butter since they are already slimy sticky. blech

Kodiak is the slug capital of the world! Go figure since we're surrounded by salt water!

Beer in a little plate will attract them, then you collect the plates and dispose of the slugs. Ducks LOVE slugs. My three are doing an awsome job eradicating the slimy buggers.

They (the slugs) tend to go after the more leafy plants, like hostas, lillies, etc. Of course, they don't like salt, so you could ring your plants with salt - although it will wash away with the rain. Be careful with any chemical treatments as some are very toxic to animals. Slugo is safe for dogs and kids but I don't know about poultry. I used it before they came along and it worked beautifully.

Slugs also don't like to crawl over sharp stuff, so some folks suggest scattering broken egg shells, seashells, etc, throughout your garden. Maybe DE would work well too? You can also ring a flowerbed with sheet copper - they don't like that. Sometimes you get just one slug that will already be at the plant and you can't find the darn thing to save your life. That means you just have to keep watching and then pick the darn thing yourself.

Be warned - if you get slug slime on your hands -do not try to wash it off with water!!!! It just gets slimier and slimier. Wipe as much of it off as you can with a dry towel then use a dry soap with the tiniest bit of water.

 

[kodiakchicken]

oops

 

[bunch-a-chickens]

the most fun way to take care of any bug is an airsoft,bb,or pellet gun