If using a hose, make sure it is on the gentle setting.īe patient. You want the powder to soak into the soil and not wash away. How To Apply Milky Spore DiseaseApply 1 teaspoon of milky spore powder every 4-feet in a grid pattern in your lawn. In most areas, the best time to apply milky spore is in late summer to early fall. When To Apply Milky Spore Disease?Because grubs must ingest the milky spore bacteria, milky spore powder should be applied when the grubs are most actively feeding-and when soil temperatures are 60-70 degrees F. Another sign may be birds, including robins and crows, and raccoons hunting and digging for Japanese beetle grubs in the lawn. The turf may also have a spongy feel to it. The Japanese beetle grubs feed on grass roots, causing the grass to brown and die.Ĭommon signs of grub infestation are dead patches of grass. Because they live in the soil, most people discover grub infestations by the damage that they do. What are grubs and how do I know I have them?Japanese beetle grubs are soft-bodied, c-shaped, off-white and up to 1 inch long. Read below to learn more about what is milky spore, milky spore treatment, how to apply milky spore powder and other tips for milky spore grub control. When grubs ingest the milky spore bacteria, they die from the infection. Milky spore, also called milky spore disease, is a naturally occurring organism in the soil. There is no risk of contamination due to runoff into bodies of water and you can use it near wells.Grubs of Japanese beetles can wreak havoc on turf grass-and several natural control methods are available. It is safe to use on lawn and ornamental plants as well as vegetable gardens. Milky spore disease is specific for Japanese beetles and it won’t harm humans, other animals, or plants. Japanese beetles only feed for two weeks and visiting beetles will be unable to reproduce in your lawn. Although Japanese beetles can fly in from your neighbor’s lawn, they will be few in number. Milky 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. Once the powder is watered in, you can safely mow or walk on the lawn. Water it in with a gentle spray from a hose for about 15 minutes. 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. Knowing how to apply milky spore is important for effective control. Although the grubs are in the soil year-round, it only works when they are actively feeding. The best time of year to use the product is fall, when the grubs are feeding aggressively. Ideal soil temperatures for using milky spore are between 60 and 70 degrees F. You can also use milky spore in vegetable gardens without fear of crop damage or contamination. 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. The bacteria remain in the soil for two to ten years. Japanese beetle larvae are the only organisms known to be susceptible to the disease, and as long as they are present in the soil, the bacterium increases in numbers. After the larvae eat the bacteria, their body fluids turn milky and they die, releasing more of the bacterial spores into the soil. Although it isn’t new, it is still considered one of the best methods of control for Japanese beetles. 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. Let’s learn more about using milky spore for lawns and gardens to control these grubs. The adult beetles are tough and difficult to kill, but their larvae are susceptible to several biological controls, including milky spore disease. To add insult to injury, their larvae feed on grass roots, leaving ugly and brown dead spots in the lawn. Japanese beetles can strip the foliage from your prized plants in no time.
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