Control Japanese beetles the organic way

A couple of weeks ago, a reader e-mailed asking for help in ridding her garden of Japanese beetles so that the scene of daughter's wedding, which was two weeks away, wouldn't look like a disaster area.

While I'm not a big fan of using pesticides in the garden, situations like this call for desperate measures. Because I don't have a lot of experience with Japanese beetles, I called on the rose maven Nancy Lindley, co-owner of Great Lakes Roses in Belleville, for advice.

"When in a crisis mode, such as a wedding, I recommend using Bayer's Dual Action Rose & Flower Insect Killer," she says. Read the label to be sure it's the formulation with imidacloprid, she counsels. Check it out at www.bayeradvanced .com.

Because Japanese beetles feed on flowers and the top surface of the leaves, misting that area will do the trick. It's not necessary to drench the entire plant. One application will last 3 to 4 days. Although this pesticide has a systemic action, meaning the plant absorbs it, the chemical is unable penetrate into the flower buds so the fresh petals that emerge are not treated and are still vulnerable.

Lindley does not recommend this product for long-term use because it's toxic to bees and to the song sparrows who eat the Japanese beetles. "However," says Lindley, "it's understandable to use it for a few weeks in an emergency situation like an upcoming wedding."

Many organic gardening books recommend hand-picking Japanese beetles and dropping them into a container of soapy water. Frankly, I never have much luck with this method because the little devils drop to the ground before I can grab them.

However, the following method does work for me: I hold a foam coffee cup filled with two inches of vinegar just under the flower or leaf where the bugs are feeding, and using a popsicle stick, quickly scrape the bug into the cup.

When finish, I replace the plastic top on the coffee cup and stash it behind a rose bush to keep it handy.

After three or four days, I fill the cup of dead bugs with water and pour the contents in the garden. Organic gardeners believe the bodies of dead bugs act as a deterrent to other bad news invaders.

Nancy Szerlag is a master gardener and Metro Detroit freelance writer.