Thursday, July 14, 2016

Who's Tearing Up the Beetle Trap Bags?

When everything goes according to plan, Japanese Beetle trap bags look like this.  The scent/sex attractant lure draws the nasty critters toward the trap, and they fall into the bag ... by the thousands.



On numerous mornings over the last two weeks, I found the bags looking like this:





Something bit holes into the bottom of the bags, and the beetles were going in the top and out the bottom.  Solving this mystery involved my Bushnell trail camera, and some patience.  

July 5, 2016


July 5, 2016


July 9, 2016


July 9, 2016


July 13, 2016


July 13, 2016


What to do?  I needed to come up with some other way to contain the beetles, because Rocky Raccoon was destroying bags almost as quickly as I could replace them.  What could I use instead of these plastic bags?  

Brainstorm ...



... a half-gallon milk jug with the top portion of the plastic beetle bag secured to it.  I tried this on one trap last week and it worked really well.  Now I have milk jug modifications on all three of my traps.  Rocky Raccoon should have a much more difficult time biting a hole in these.

31 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. There seems to be one challenge after another with life in the country. :)

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  2. I adore you! I just made Johnathan come over to look at this post :D

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    1. Johnathan is asking if Rocky Racoon found Gideons bible? ;)

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    2. Gideon's Bible was most certainly in the nightstand drawer in Rocky's hotel room. Johnathan is so much fun.

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  3. You are truly the best at finding solutions! I'm glad that worked, and I hope that Rocky causes mischief somewhere else!

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    1. This was very enlightening, because I didn't realize that anything ate Japanese Beetles much. It would be nice if they would get them straight from the original source (the rose bushes) instead of destroying the traps for their midnight snacks.

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  4. Brilliant! Hope it continues to work well!

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  5. Great idea, so much for Rocky, hope he has gone for good,

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    Replies
    1. I'm sure that Rocky is off on some other adventure. The camera is still out there in that same spot, and I hope to catch him investigating this new receptacle.

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  6. Great job to keep out the dang racoon. They are such pests and make messes. I don't like them, no matter how 'cute' they look. :-)

    Have a great Friday and weekend ~ FlowerLady

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    Replies
    1. They are cute, but destructive ... not as destructive as Groundhogs, but close.

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  7. Oh! Thanks for that! I live down the road from you and they tear open my bags, too! Very clever fix! Now I need to modify mine :)

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    1. I can imagine you doing the same thing I did when I saw the damaged bag ... scratching my head and wondering who did it. You're welcome! :)

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  8. Brilliant! Our bags are filling so fast and we can't find just the bags anywhere! We will have to try this but I don't drink milk....will have to find another bottle to use.
    Martha

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    1. This jug also comes holding all sorts of other things. I have a whole stockpile of them, to use when I propagate roses and other plants. To be honest, most of mine came from scrounging and asking friends to save them for me.

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    2. Water comes in these for about $1 a jug. Even if you think it's evil to buy bottled water, that's cheap for a container. (My town adds stuff to its water that forms a crust under faucets, so since that seems kind of disgusting, I buy bottled water for my pets' water dishes.)

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  9. I see you on QVC in the near future.

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    Replies
    1. You're probably right ... some folks will buy anything.

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  10. You are one step ahead - good for you!
    betsy

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    Replies
    1. I will be so glad when these nasty critters are gone for the season. I'm seeing fewer each day, but I'm hesitant to hope that the season is waning.

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  11. omgosh Connie.... I JUST watered the terrace and there were all these little coppery beatles mating and eating my ferns. I took them off and squished their little heads in with my flip flop;) and thought I need to google what they are. Before that I decided to visit you and you told me!! Luckily I don't seem to have as many as you have (knock on wood. tap.tap.tap.)
    Now, can you help me with my major vole problem???? I feel like Bill Murray in Caddy Shack trying to kill the damn gopher :(
    xxojoan

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    1. In the garden, if it's not one thing, then it's definitely another. Japanese Beetles are probably our most obvious pest, and they're one without a defined predator to keep them in balance. Scourge, plague, invasion ... whatever the term, they're awful. I know about them on roses, grapes, Crape Myrtle, Crabapple, and such. Never heard of them eating ferns, but that's probably because I don't have ferns. Squishing and drowning them is satisfying. There's not much else that we can do.

      Voles and Groundhogs are a whole 'nuther problem ... one in which I share your frustration. At least I can trap the Groundhogs.

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    2. In the garden, if it's not one thing, then it's definitely another. Japanese Beetles are probably our most obvious pest, and they're one without a defined predator to keep them in balance. Scourge, plague, invasion ... whatever the term, they're awful. I know about them on roses, grapes, Crape Myrtle, Crabapple, and such. Never heard of them eating ferns, but that's probably because I don't have ferns. Squishing and drowning them is satisfying. There's not much else that we can do.

      Voles and Groundhogs are a whole 'nuther problem ... one in which I share your frustration. At least I can trap the Groundhogs.

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  12. We have not had beetles this year for some reason, so we didn't put any bags out. Have not seen any coons either, but a neighbor has corn in their garden which probably keeps the raccoons busy on his property instead of ours. Critters can be such a nuisance!

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  13. After 5 pages of google results I found your amazing post.... Thank You!!! I was going crazy trying to figure this out because I had 2 traps and only one had been eaten like yours. One in the front yard and one in the backyard. So did you put holes in the jug to drain water?

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