Milwaukee Post
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June 15, 2018 • Milwaukee County Post • 5 260247100 *Excludes sale price. $ 3 OFF * Flats of Annuals (48 Plants) *Excludes sale price. $ 3 OFF * Rose Bushes *Excludes sale price. LUXEMBOURG GARDENS *Excludes sale price. LOOking for Quality Plants MP 8429 W. Forest Hill Ave. FRANKLIN 414-425-5696 Hours: Mon - Fri. 8-7, Sat. 8-6, Sun. 9-5 $ 3 OFF * 10" Pot Hanging Baskets $ 1 OFF * 4-1/2" Jumbo Pot Perennials With this Ad Father's Day Specials! Father's Day Specials! G ift Certificates Available With this ad 1 FREE 4 Pack of Vegetable Plants With any purchase. Limit one per visit. Luxembourg Gardens Expires 6/24/18 We are now accepting Memorials, Obituaries and Death Notices. Now for only $85 (Includes up to 300 words.) For an extra $10 Add a Photo. Or a short notice for only $25 (Includes 150 words.) All notices prepaid. For more information call Dan Muckelbauer @ 262-513-2626 and leave a message or email dmuck@conleynet.com Let your friends and relatives know about the passing of a loved one. Place a memorial in the Milwaukee County Post newspaper. DEADLINES ARE TUESDAY (2pm) FOR THE UPCOMING WEEKEND PAPER. 260647103 By CATHERINE JOZWIK Special to the Post Each summer, Japanese beetles cause headaches for gardeners and homeowners, feasting on the foliage of more than 300 plant species, including roses, and linden, elm, cherry and crabapple trees. But there are several ways to prevent infestations, pro- fessionals said. Jesse Ziemienski, a board- certified master arborist and owner of American Tree Experts, a business his father started in 1950, said the number of beetles varies depending on weather con- ditions. The fingernail-sized pests typically make their appear- ance in early July, but the damage they do to trees and other plants isn't always apparent until they disap- pear. "Most people don't realize what's going on until they see their plants. You're not going to know what's going on until you see the after- math," Zieminski said. A beetle pathology Japanese beetles first came to the East Coast in the early 20th century, most like- ly through imported plants and other goods. Ziemienski said beetles are still inadvertently shipped to the United States through commerce. "They are hitchhikers and we're bringing them in," he said. Beetles have a relatively short life of one year. They spend most of their life as grubs and only three months as adults. They pre- fer hot temperatures. Female beetles feed early in the day and return in the afternoon to lay eggs, noted Ziemienski. "The best time to look for them is in the morning," he said. Although the bugs don't kill plants, they eat leaf tis- sue, leading to skeletoniza- tion of trees and other plants. This can weaken trees and can make them susceptible to root rot, fire blight and other diseases and pest infestations. In love with roses Larry Heebsh, master rosarian, president of the Greater Milwaukee Rose Society and manager of Greg's True Value Hardware in St. Francis, said beetles eat blooms on plants before anything else. "I've seen as many as 30 or more on a single bloom," he said. Many chemicals on the market are effective in killing grubs and beetles, including imidacloprid, a chemical injected into the soil of birch trees, and Merit, a fertilizer granule made by the Bayer company. Heebsh warns people that some insecticides are very harsh and can also kill bugs beneficial to plants. Dave Wanninger, horticul- turalist at Boerner Botanical Gardens in Hales Corners, said that although natural predators such as koi (Japanese goldfish) and birds, and certain fungi found in soil have caused beetle numbers to decrease in recent years, the bugs still do considerable damage to roses. "They've not been a terri- ble problem, except for roses," he said. Getting rid of them Wanninger said the Boerner rose garden is the only place in the park where insecticide is sprayed, due to chemicals that can be harm- ful to plants and humans. The sprayed area is fenced off, and workers use protec- tive gear. Heebsh and Ziemienski agree that shaking bugs off of small plants into a bucket of soapy water is a more environmentally friendly way to handle beetle infesta- tions. Wanninger encourages park visitors to toss leaves containing beetles into the koi pond, as the fish feed on them. All recommend against using beetle traps, as these contain pheromones that attract the bugs to plants. Dead bugs also give off pheromones, so bugs should not be killed as they eat plant material. To treat severe beetle infestations, Ziemienski rec- ommends contacting profes- sionals. Beetles are now ready to come out of their dormant stage, making early June an ideal time for soil treatment, said Heebsh. "Right now is a great time to take action," he said. The Greater Milwaukee Rose Society offers seminars on gardening problems such as pest infestations. For more information, visit w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m / gmrsofficial/. Japanese beetles: Coming to roses or trees near you Submitted photo The leaves on this linden tree are skeletonized due to Japanese bee- tle activity. These bugs can spell trouble for many trees and plants. HOME