Japanese beetles love our gardens and orchard.
They have made quick, destructive work of our apple trees, beans and zinnias...apparently their favorite munchy treats. Peter and I are spending much of our time here at the homestead picking bugs off plants/trees into soapy water, spraying Neem oil in the most vulnerable places, setting beetle traps, and covering what we can.
It's on beetles!
Later this summer we will plant a sacrificial crop of Echinacea flowers for next year to help mitigate these pesky pests. Also considering buying a supply of nematodes to work in the dirt to get rid of the larvae before the beetles can emerge!
I go back and forth between singing "All God's critters have a place in the choir, some sing low, some sing higher..." and quoting Saruman, "To war!"
This has been a season of pushing back on the wild things...birds, beetles, bears...and the squirrels. Ugh!
Despite the struggles, we are thankful for the growing, beautiful things and veggies that are starting to emerge from our gardens.
