Evening star., 1946-09-22
Now S the Time
To Push Fight
On Jap Beetle
Two Methods Given
To Prevent Pests
Return Next Year
By w. n. Younamon

Some people are undoubtedly say
ing that the Japanese beetles are
gone for this season and there is
no need to worry about them until
next year. That Is bit like the old
saying "Out of sight, out of mind"
Japanese beetles are with us-just
out of sight.
The cycle of the beetle is approxi-
mately one year. When they appear
in June or July they live from 80
to As days before depositing their
eggs. Beetles are about as late as
September or october because they
do not all emerge at the same time.
The eggs hatch in about two weeks
time and the larvae feed on grass
roots during the fall-until cold
weather drives them below the roots.
In the spring as the soil warns,
they tunnel back toward the sur
face to resume their feeding. This
continues until time for them to
emerge in June or July Figurative-
ly speaking, the beetles feed on trees
and flowers a month or two and our
lawns five or six months out of the
year.
Good lawns are difficult to obtain
under our soil and climatic condi-
tions. With the added injury to the
grass by the larvae of the Japanese
BEETLE, it is still harder task. The
beetles lay most of their eggs in
closely cropped turf. Lawns, golf
courses and pastures are the pre-
ferred nursery of this pest.
With these two facts In mind-the
location of the winter quarters Of
the beetles and their food habits
we should take necessary steps to
destroy them when it is easiest to
do. There are two methods of treat
ing lawns and turf to kill the larvae.
Lead Arsenate Advocated.
The first method. recommended
by the Agriculture Department and
based on early research, is the ap-
plication of lead arsenate to the
lawn in the fall or early spring.
BY this method, 10 pounds of'lead
arsenate are spread over each 1000
square feet of lawn. 1t should be
mixed with damp sand or soil and
spread as evenly as possible over the
area to be treated. AS soon as dis
tributed, it should be washed into
the soil carefully with the hose to
prevent poisoning birds or animals.
One treatments with the arsenate
will last about five years.
The University of Maryland has
perfected the propagation Of q
disease of the Japanese beetle, the
milky disease" and is encouraging
its production under license.
Milky disease costs a bit more
than lead arsenate on the per pound
basis but it goes further. One pound
will treat approximately 5000 square
feet and it does not have to be re-
newed every five or six years.
Pound Goes a Long Way.
Lead arsenate should be spread
evenly over the area to be treated,
whereas the milky disease is nor
mally distributed in small holes
3 feet apart. The punching o1
the holes with a small dibble OF
pointed stick is done easily. 1t take.
only a teaspoonful of powder to 9
! hole. This makes pound go Ions
! way. On the other hand, because II
disseminates rather slowly through
the soil and reaches maximum eff.
fectiveness in two or three years,
some gardeners prefer to make the
. applications closer than the recon-
mended three feet. A few claim that
when there are frequent showers it
is unnecessary to make holes for
the material. If placed on the
ground it will wash down into the
soil.
There are several licensed sup
pliers of the milky disease. Dis
tribute the material over all the
grass land on your place and get
your neighbors to do likewise, for
while your treatment will protect
your lawn, it will not destroy nu-
merous beetles on adjoining terri
tory nor prevent them from flying
in and destroying your roses and
shrubs.