Lawns and Gardens
Are Insecticides Poisoning Your Yard?
By
Feb 19, 2006, 01:29

(ARA) – You may not know what a Japanese beetle looks like, but chances are if you have a yard, you’ve seen the damage they do. The beetle is a highly destructive non-native pest that was introduced to the United States almost 80 years ago.

Because it has no natural predators here, the beetle has become a serious plant and turf pest, responsible for an estimated $3 billion worth of damage every year. Japanese beetle grubs feed on and destroy turf, while the adults feed on the foliage and fruits of several hundred species of fruit trees, ornamental trees, shrubs, grapevines and field and vegetable crops. One thousand adult beetles can lay eggs for 50,000 grubs in your lawn.

The grubs develop in the soil, feeding on the roots of various plants and grasses and often destroying turf in lawns, parks, golf courses and pastures. “You’ll know if you have grubs because your grass will go brown and feel spongy underfoot, and can be easily pulled back like old carpet to reveal the grubs,” explains Ted Reuter of St. Gabriel Laboratories, manufacturers of a natural control for these destructive pests.

Adult beetles emerge in late spring or early summer to feast on plant leaves. They’re easily recognizable: they’re a little less than 1/2 inch long with a shiny, metallic green body and bronze colored outer wings. Leaves attacked by Japanese beetles look like lace before they shrivel and die.

St. Gabriel Laboratories conducts a Japanese beetle survey every year, and according to data they’ve gathered, beetle populations will be huge in 2006. “The mild winter we’ve had in most parts of the country is good for the beetles, bad for homeowners and their yards,” says Reuter.

But before you reach for a chemical insecticide to deal with these pests, consider the safety of you, your family and your pets. “People are poisoning their yards with these chemicals,” says Reuter. “They’re dangerous for children and for animals, not to mention the environment.” Chemical insecticides kill all kinds of bugs, including beneficial ones like earthworms and the praying mantis. Milky Spore kills only Japanese beetles and harms nothing else.

Reuter recommends Milky Spore, a biological control agent, instead. Milky Spore is the common name for spores of the bacterium Bacillus popillae. When beetle grubs ingest the spores, they germinate in the grub’s gut, infect the gut cells and enter the blood, where they multiply. The buildup of spores in the blood causes the grub to take on a characteristic milky appearance.

Milky Spore disease builds up in turf over a period of two to four years, as grubs ingest the spores, become infected and die, each releasing 1 to 2 billion spores back into the soil, suppressing the development of large beetle populations. “Once Milky Spore is established, it can last 10 to 20 years in the soil,” says Reuter. St. Gabriel guarantees its product will last for 10 years.

Developed by the USDA after World War II, Milky Spore is safe for vegetable gardens, as it is not a chemical pesticide. “Milky Spore is the safest material ever developed for control over the grubs of Japanese beetles,” says Reuter. It is easy to apply, begins working immediately and is long lasting.

For more information, visit www.milkyspore.com or call (800) 801-0061. Courtesy of ARA Content

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