Springtime Japanese Beetle Treatments

Japanese Beetles are destroying my garden! 

If those words were going through your mind last year, it's time to take action. Call Blooming Rails Garden Nanny today at 630-450-1251.

Springtime is here and while thoughts of shopping for flowers and growing a beautiful garden may be just starting to percolate in your mind, those pesky beetles are getting ready for a summer long feast.

Last year many of our clients here in Illinois saw Japanese beetles come out in force, attacking plants as soon as we got them in the ground. Milky Spore is one effective "green" way to fight the beetles in their grub form and there are some plants that repel the Japanese beetle such as garlic, catnip, chives, tansy or rue. The fight to control Japanese beetles starts now, in spring, and continues on throughout the summer and fall... "every year" for at least three years as the spore continues to spread and kill off these invading pests. Natural enemies are wasps and birds although you'll probably get much more enjoyment by attracting birds to your yard than you will wasps. Do nothing to fight these nasty little pests and the very act of planting your beautiful garden is opening the door for them to actually invite other Japanese beetles over for dinner... in your backyard. The best way to fight this pest is to enlist your neighbors to join you in the war against the Japanese Beetles.

In March through April the grubs that have been hiding out deep in the soil start to work their way up to feed on the roots of your lawn and can cause substantial damage. Now is the time to make a preemptive strike. Grubs are easiest to kill in spring, come June the beetles will start to emerge and head straight for your roses and other ornamentals, that you've spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars on.

Make no mistake, the battle doesn't end with a spring treatment... but it's the best time to get started. For more information about the battle against Japanese beetles visit the Blooming Rails website.

Rain Barrel Considerations

Adding a rain barrel to your home garden? There are several items you might want to consider:

Site selection - you should try to place a rain barrel in a shady area to reduce the water temp and avoid watering your plants with a high content of microorganisms or mold.



Plastic barrels positioned in the direct sunlight will leach more toxins into the water. Also consider if the site provides easy access to roof soffits or other areas that raccoons would appreciate.

Consider adding a water diverter system that not only filters debris (you really don't want to be forced into cleaning out the mooky mess of leaves at the bottom of the barrel) but also switches back to the gutter when the tank is full to prevent flooding around the barrel site. I like the Rain Reserve Diverter system for keeping the system clean and turning off automatically.

Buy a barrel that has a spigot near the bottom of the barrel so you can completely drain the system and clean it out occasionally. This will also help when it's time to winterize your system.

Consider adding a platform so that you can fit a watering can underneath as well as a hose system.

If you have children who are likely to climb on the barrel, consider securing the barrel to the wall to prevent serious injury. (Children should never be allowed to climb on this in the first place)

Never drink the water out of the barrel, it has run off from roofing materials that may contain toxic chemicals.

Never water the leaves of any plants with the water from this system, instead, water the ground or use soaker hoses attached to your spigot.

Use a system that is closed off as much as possible to keep mosquitoes from making this site their preferred breeding ground.

Consider decorating your barrel - some ideas are at the end of this video.