Milky Spore is a natural pest control that targets grubs such as Japanese beetles. Spread the powdered pores over your lawn. Once the grubs ingest the spores, the spores multiply and eventually rid your lawn of the grub infestation.
What does milky spore do to Japanese beetles?
After the application of milky spore, the Japanese beetle grubs begin feeding on the spores. The spores infect the grub, giving them milky spore disease. The disease does not allow a beetle grub to develop into an adult Japanese beetle.
Does milky spore kill beetle grubs?
The USDA has approved milky spore for use on the beetle grubs. What cannot be seen is the damage beetle grubs do to the roots below the surface. To be more effective, after treating with milky spore, you can continue to use other treatments to eliminate adult beetles. See product information in the Resource section below.
How do you get rid of Japanese beetles in your garden?
Japanese beetles can completely devour everything in your lawn and garden -- trees, shrubs, fruit, vegetables and flowers. Most Japanese beetle treatments on the market will eliminate these garden pests in the short run. However these treatments must be repeated frequently and the beetles will keep returning year after year.
What is milky spore and how does it work?
What is Milky Spore? Long before horticulturalists coined the terms “integrated pest management” and “biological controls,” the bacterium Paenibacillus papillae, commonly called milky spore, was commercially available to control Japanese beetle larvae, or grub worms.
Does milky spore work on Japanese beetles?
Milky Spore targets and kills Japanese beetle grubs, a familiar destructive pest, before they can grow into adult beetles. At the immature stage, Japanese beetle grubs feed on the roots of lawns, turf, and other grassy areas.
When should you apply milky spore?
You can apply milky spore in spring and summer, as well, because grubs are present pretty much any time the ground isn't frozen. The ideal soil temperature for milky spore is between 60 and 70 degrees. This is another reason why fall, when temperatures are cooler, is the ideal time for milky spore applications.
How is milky spore applied?
Spread the powdered pores over your lawn. Once the grubs ingest the spores, the spores multiply and eventually rid your lawn of the grub infestation. To spread the powder, use a lawn and garden dispenser to apply Milky Spore every 4 feet (1.2 m) in a grid pattern across your yard.
How do you use milky spore grub control?
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Which is better milky spore granules or powder?
If you use milky spore granules, you must make 6 applications over a 2-year period. Using milky spore powder is up to 5 times cheaper than the granules over the long-term. Both powder and granules are safe and equally effective. The powder and granulated forms of milky spore both last for up to 20 years.
How effective is milky spore?
Research has determined that milky spore has no impact on beneficial organisms in the soil. In addition, it appears that the bacterium is compatible with Tiphia wasps, which are parasitoids of Japanese beetle grubs.
Should I water in milky spore?
They don't usually need to be watered in but should not be introduced to a dry soil. Nematodes move through soil moisture and can migrate easily into a moist soil. Applying after rain or irrigation is best. Timing with milky spore is not as important.
How do you spread milky spore granules?
InstructionsFill the drop spreader with the Milky Spore Granular.Apply uniformly over the treatment area. ... Spread over the treatment area at the rate of 1 lb per 350 sq. ... Water the treated area and/or apply beneficial nematodes within 24 hours of application to soak spores into the soil.More items...
Can you use a broadcast spreader for milky spore granules?
Milky spore powder is very fine, and cannot be spread with a broadcast spreader. A drop spreader places milky spore on the lawn in spots where it will be watered into the soil and moved through it by Japanese beetle grubs.
How fast does milky spore work?
Milky Spore Powder only needs to be applied once. It begins working as soon as it is applied as long as grubs are feeding. Once grubs are infected they will multiply the spore by several billion times and spread it further. In warm climates, good control can occur in one to three years.
Does milky spore harm earthworms?
Milky spore is a bacterium specifically for killing white grubs, which are the larvae of Japanese beetles. Although it may affect some other types of grubs, it will not harm earthworms, pets or wildlife. Milky spore needs to be in the soil for about three years before it becomes completely effective.
Does milky spore harm earthworms?
Milky spore is a bacterium specifically for killing white grubs, which are the larvae of Japanese beetles. Although it may affect some other types of grubs, it will not harm earthworms, pets or wildlife. Milky spore needs to be in the soil for about three years before it becomes completely effective.
Is milky spore harmful to pets?
Milky Spore is approved by the EPA. It is a safe material to kill grubs. It is not toxic to insects, birds, pets or humans.
How do you spread granular milky spore?
InstructionsFill the drop spreader with the Milky Spore Granular.Apply uniformly over the treatment area. ... Spread over the treatment area at the rate of 1 lb per 350 sq. ... Water the treated area and/or apply beneficial nematodes within 24 hours of application to soak spores into the soil.More items...
Why Are Japanese Beetles Bad?
It doesn’t take many Japanese beetles to strip your plants bare in nothing flat.
How And When Should Milky Spore Bacterium Be Applied?
It’s best to apply the bacterium when your soil temperature is and will consistently remain 60° – 70° degrees Fahrenheit (15° – 21° C).
How Does Milky Spore Bacillus Work?
Milky spore is an important part of integrated pest management (IPM), but it isn’t a modern phenomenon.
Can you use milky spore powder to kill Japanese beetles?
The bottom line is there is no reason not to use milky spore powder bacterium to deci mate the Japanese beetle grub worm population and reduce the number of Japanese beetles in your yard.
Is It Safe To Use Milky Spore Bacterium?
It’s very safe to use this natural bacterium in your battle with Japanese beetles because they are the only organisms susceptible to this malady.
How to get milky spore off the ground?
If you’re watering the ground yourself, use a spray hose with a softer spray setting — you don’t want to spray the ground so intensely that the powder washes away. If you're applying it before rain, make sure the rain is going to be light as opposed to a heavy storm that will wash the Milky Spore away.
How to spread milky spore?
To spread the powder, use a lawn and garden dispenser to apply Milky Spore every 4 feet (1.2 m) in a grid pattern across your yard. Lightly water the soil so that the powder is absorbed, and enjoy a grub-free lawn after 1-3 years. Steps.
How big should a nail hole be for a milky spore?
The nail holes should be big enough for the Milky Spore to pass through, but they don't need to be huge—a medium-sized nail should work.
How to make a milky spore dispenser?
Create your own dispenser using a coffee can, if necessary. If you don’t want to purchase a dispenser just for applying the Milky Spore powder, create one using an old coffee can and a 4 ft (120 cm) long stick. Punch 15 holes in the bottom of the coffee can using a nail, and attach the coffee can to the stick using duct tape.
What is milky spore?
Learn more... Milky Spore is a natural pest control that targets grubs such as Japanese beetles. Spread the powdered pores over your lawn. Once the grubs ingest the spores, the spores multiply and eventually rid your lawn of the grub infestation.
How long does milky spore last?
Once it has been treated, the Milky Spore should work for at least 10 years without another treatment.
How long does it take for milky spore to soak in the soil?
Water the ground lightly so that the powder absorbs into the soil. Try to water the soil immediately after you apply Milky Spore, but at least within 24 hours. Apply it right before it’s about to rain and let the rain help the powder soak into the soil, or lightly water the soil yourself.
How to apply milky spores?
Knowing how to apply milky spore is important for effective control. Place a teaspoon (5 ml.) of milky spore powder on the lawn, spacing the applications about 4 feet (1 m.) apart to form a grid. Don’t spread or spray the powder. Water it in with a gentle spray from a hose for about 15 minutes.
What happens to Japanese beetles after they eat them?
After the larvae eat the bacteria, their body fluids turn milky and they die, releasing more of the bacterial spores into the soil. Japanese beetle larvae are the only organisms known to be susceptible to the disease, ...
What is milky spore?
Long before horticulturalists coined the terms “integrated pest management” and “biological controls,” the bacterium Paenibacillus papillae, commonly called milky spore, was commercially available to control Japanese beetle larvae, or grub worms. Although it isn’t new, it is still considered one of the best methods of control for Japanese beetles. After the larvae eat the bacteria, their body fluids turn milky and they die, releasing more of the bacterial spores into the soil.
What do beetles eat?
To add insult to injury, their larvae feed on grass roots, leaving ugly and brown dead spots in the lawn. The adult beetles are tough and difficult to kill, but their larvae are susceptible to several biological controls, including milky spore disease.
How long do Japanese beetles live in the soil?
The bacteria remain in the soil for two to ten years. When using milky spore for lawns, it can take three years to achieve control of the insect in warm climates, ...
How long does it take for milky spores to work?
When using milky spore for lawns, it can take three years to achieve control of the insect in warm climates, and even longer in cooler areas. You can also use milky spore in vegetable gardens without fear of crop damage or contamination. Ideal soil temperatures for using milky spore are between 60 and 70 degrees F. (15-21 C.).
Can you mow with milky spore?
Once the powder is watered in, you can safely mow or walk on the lawn. One application is all it takes. Mil ky spore won’t completely eliminate Japanese beetle grubs from your lawn, but it will keep their numbers below the damage threshold, which is about 10 to 12 grubs per square foot (0.1 sq. m.). Although Japanese beetles can fly in ...
When to apply milky spores?
For best results, you should apply the spores in Spring (March-May), Summer (Aug.), and Fall for 2 consecutive years.
What is milky spore?
Natural Control. Milky spore ( Paenibacillus popilliae) is a natural soil-dwelling bacteria. When the grubs eat the bacteria in the soil, the bacteria reproduce in the gut and eventually kill the grub from the inside out. When the grub dies (usually between 1-3 weeks) and decomposes, billions of new spores are introduced to the soil and ...
When to apply milky spore?
When and How to Apply. Milky spore can be applied anytime during the year, except when the ground is frozen. Fall is considered to be the best time to apply the treatment, as the grubs are close to the surface of the warm soil, feeding on roots.
What do Japanese beetle grubs eat?
After the application of milky spore , the Japanese beetle grubs begin feeding on the spores. The spores infect the grub, giving them milky spore disease. The disease does not allow a beetle grub to develop into an adult Japanese beetle. Once they feed on the spores , the beetle grubs will die in seven to 21 days.
What Is Milky Spore?
Milky spore is a naturally occurring bacteria that is reproduced by St. Gabriel Labratories (See References). The active ingredient in milky spore is bacillus popilliae. The spores are activated in warm, moist soil.
How long does it take for milky spores to penetrate?
It is recommended that any treated areas be lightly watered 24 hours after application. Milky spore takes two to four years to thoroughly penetrate an area.
Can grubs kill beetles?
The grubs can be just as harmful, if not more so, as the adult beetles. Japanese beetle are most vulnerable when they are grubs. By eliminating the grubs, fewer adult beetles will emerge and fewer eggs will be introduced into your lawn and garden, lowering the number of beetles the following season. The USDA has approved milky spore ...
Can Japanese beetles be eliminated?
Most Japanese beetle treatments on the market will eliminate these garden pests in the short run. However these treatments must be repeated frequently and the beetles will keep returning year after year. Milky spore is considered to be a long-term solution to Japanese beetle infestations.
Can you use milky spores to kill beetles?
To be more effective, after treating with milky spore, you can continue to use other treatments to eliminate adult beetles. After the application of milky spore, the Japanese beetle grubs begin feeding on the spores.
How to apply milky spore to your lawn in 5 steps
Milky spore powder or granules (available online or wherever you buy garden supplies)
What is milky spore?
Milky spore ( Paenibacillus popilliae) is a bacterium that has been used for Japanese beetle control since the 1940s. When Japanese beetle larvae (aka grubs) ingest the spores of this bacterium, they get a fatal disease known as milky disease or milky spore disease.
How to tell if your lawn has Japanese beetle grubs
Remember, milky spore will only help your lawn if the problem is Japanese beetle grubs. If you’re dealing with any other pest or lawn disease, applying milky spore would be a waste of time and money.
When not to use milky spore
What if the grubs in your lawn are the larvae of other species of beetles, not Japanese beetles? Or what if you want to see results fast? Milky spore isn’t right for you in these cases. But that doesn’t mean you have to let the grubs win.
How to control Japanese beetles?
A good way to control the japanese beetles, is to go out when it is dark with a flashlight and a bucket of soapy water, it is very easy to knock them off the plant into the bucket. I have killed hundreds this way,. It really helps to have the hat with the light attached to it, like a miner. leaves your hands free. who cares what the neighbors think!
What temperature should I use for Japanese beetles?
In my opinion, the best time to use them is when the ground temperature is below 85 degrees but above 65.
How does Milky Spore Disease work?
Understanding how the Milky Spore Disease, "Bacillus popilliae" works is a key to properly applying it. The grubs it will control must ingest the spores and they need to be of a certain age for those spores to be able to grow and develop. The powder that contains the spores could be put down any time of the year but since applying it in early August, so the spores will be in the soil when the grubs hatch and start to grow, is probably the best time. It is kind of the same with the nematodes, they are most effective on younger grubs than they are on older ones. While it would be really good if everyone were to apply MSD to control these grubs that is unlikely to happen anytime soon so each of us can only do what we can on our wee corner.
How do nematodes kill grubs?
In the south, beneficial nematodes seem to work very well. I'm thinking soil temp is everything to the nematodes. Nematodes kill by bringing a disease to the grubs. The disease kills the grub almost immediately and the nematodes lay eggs in the grub host. When the eggs hatch, the disease has run rampant through the host body and becomes food for the newly hatched nematodes. Then they go on to search out other hosts. All this takes about a week. If you really want to get the full effect of a few gazillion nematodes, apply a million about 3 weeks before you think you'll need them and let them multiply.
Do you have to have grubs to control milky spores?
If you properly manage your turf you will not have a grub problem. If you have enough grubs to warrant control Milky Spore Disease and beneficial nematodes are the single best way to do that as is encouraging starlings to patrol your lawn.
Can Japanese beetle grubs be controlled?
Milky spore seems to control them and not others. Second, you need to find out if Milky spore works well in your area. For unknown reasons, it is not effective everywhere where JB are a problem.
Can milky spore be used on nematodes?
As far as Milky Spore goes, I think it would be applied at the same time as nematodes, but I have yet to be able to confirm that. The cost may be probibitive for me, as I have about 15,000 sq. ft. of lawn and I believe that the product has to be applied to all lawn and gardens as well to become totally effective.
Why is milky spore not used?
Milky spore comes in a powder and consists of a bacteria. The first reason not to use milky spore is that it was manufactured to control ONLY Japanese beetle grubs. Unfortunately there are many more turf damaging grubs in NH and VT including Asiatic beetles, European and masked chafers, June and May beetles and armyworms.
Can you use milky spore in lawn?
Updated June 24, 2019. According to a University of New Hampshire publication on milky spore disease, there are more reasons NOT to use this product than to use it in your home lawn. Milky spore has been around for decades and was the first biological disease to control Japanese beetle grubs. Milky spore comes in a powder and consists of a bacteria.
Can milky spores control Japanese beetle grubs?
So now you understand that even if milky spore could work, you would only be controlling one grub out of many …not good odds. Secondly, you must have sufficient numbers of Japanese beetle grubs in your lawn to promote the bacterial population enough to expand and spread out in the soil.
