halp save my tree's........?

Question

Help I have 2 crepe myrtle trees in my yard and they are covered in small metalic gold and bluish green beatles. they are mateing I gues but they are eating the tar out of my tree's. I have tried shaking them off and even applied Sevin dust to get rid of them and nothing has helped. Please I need help fast I love these trees and don't want to loose them.

Answer 1

Sounds like Japanese Beetles. Sevin doesn't do much to those. If you don't mind spraying the good stuff, go with malathion or dursban to get rid of them. Rotenone is a little more environmentally acceptable way to go that also works well. Don't bother with stuff like soapy water or hard sprays of water, they won't work.

I've also had success with Japanese Beetle traps in my yard. You have to be a little careful and have a yard big enough to put them at least 50 feet from whatever you're trying to protect. Don't put them near anything that they like and you don't want eaten.

The other good news is that Japanese Beetle season is relatively short. They'll be mostly gone in 3 or 4 weeks and your crape myrtles will just grow new leaves.

Answer 2

Sounds like Japanese beetles. If you want to try an insecticide, Sevin is fairly mild stuff but will hold the beetle population down. Buy the liquid and spray it on. I think the dust is more for sprinkling on the soil for garden plants. Another good insecticide, Malathion will make the beetles fall right out of the tree dead. I mean it really works, but the downside is that is quite a bit harsher stuff. If you are going to try any insecticide, make sure to check the label first to make sure it is safe to use on crepe myrtle.

The best insecticide that I have found for keeping japanese beetles from eating my young trees is anything with the active ingredient Imidacloprid. Bayer sells it as "Tree & Shrub Insect Control". This is the stuff you pour around the base of the tree and then water it in. The upside is that you don't have to stand on a ladder and spray the leaves all the while tasting the chemical with every breath. The downside is that it takes about 10-14 days for it to be taken up by the roots and transported to the leaves.

I guess what I would do in your situation is get some of the Imidacloprid and water it in to the roots. And in the 2 weeks you need before it gets to the leaves, try spraying every few days with Sevin.

Answer 3

If the insects are about the size of your thumbnail, they are probably Japanese Beetles. If they are about the size of a BIG grain of rice, they are probably Flea Beetles (they also do a bit of hopping).
Dusts are hard to apply evenly and Sevin only lasts 1 day. Liquid pyrethrin sprays are immediate success. Re-apply every 5-7 days and get ready for blooms.

Answer 4

You could try hosing them a couple of times a day and I have also tried a chalk that you can buy in China town called Chinese chalk which I draw around the bottom of the tree and this seems to deter any bugs from crossing it. The only thing is you have to do it every time after a rain fall. Good luck.