Author Topic: anyone else having problems with Beetle"?****UPDATE I GOT PICS OF THE BUGGER***  (Read 13101 times)

y0rascal

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well I am, these suckers are devouring my Kent mango tree which I severely cut in order for it to grow right. they are starting to attack my other mango trees new leaves. Need to know what to use to kill these suckers. I have tried malathion oil and nothing, they continue to eat hump and reproduce like its going out of style. anyone else have a problem with these guys go out at night and if you see small brown black beetles like the size of lady bugs they are it they jump and fly so they are hard to kill.

Looking for a solution will post pics of the damage tomorrow during daylight.
« Last Edit: June 17, 2014, 02:51:51 PM by y0rascal »

FRUITBOXHERO

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Re: anyone else having problems with "FLEA BEETLES"?
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2014, 08:50:21 PM »
You could dig up your trees and plant them in my yard.....It's beetle free!
Did you try like seven spray? I use it and it works for most pest (not whitefly) but most pests
Joe

gnappi

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Re: anyone else having problems with "Cuban May Beetle"?
« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2014, 09:03:34 PM »
well I am, these suckers are devouring my Kent mango tree which I severely cut in order for it to grow right. they are starting to attack my other mango trees new leaves. Need to know what to use to kill these suckers. I have tried malathion oil and nothing, they continue to eat hump and reproduce like its going out of style. anyone else have a problem with these guys go out at night and if you see small brown black beetles like the size of lady bugs they are it they jump and fly so they are hard to kill.

Looking for a solution will post pics of the damage tomorrow during daylight.

They seem to be very localized. A few years ago I woke every morning to find devastating leaf chomping and decided to go out at night with a pair of pliers and squish them. Well I got dozens every night and after a week they either went away or I killed a complete hatching. I haven't seen them again since then.


Regards,

   Gary

Tropicalgrower89

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Re: anyone else having problems with "Cuban May Beetle"?
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2014, 09:16:14 PM »
A swarm of them came and devoured my mamey sapote trees, and ruined all the new growth.  >:(  They are growing again now. They also chewed a few leaves of my sapodilla and canistel. I've been using the bug zapper every night for a few weeks now and I haven't seen any new damage lately.
Alexi

y0rascal

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Re: anyone else having problems with "Cuban May Beetle"?
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2014, 09:36:30 PM »
where did you buy your zapper and where do you place it near the house? I'm considering buying a zapper. I am just don't know if i should hang it buy the house or place it on a stool near the trees. I have a small yard.

FRUITBOXHERO

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Re: anyone else having problems with "Cuban May Beetle"?
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2014, 09:44:52 PM »
Sam's Club has them for 40 bucks I saw them there last weekend (Coral Springs location)
Joe

Tropicalgrower89

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Re: anyone else having problems with "Cuban May Beetle"?
« Reply #6 on: May 14, 2014, 09:49:20 PM »
I think I bought it at either Lowe's or Home Depot. It's a Stinger 1 acre model Bug Zapper. It looks like this one.




My dad made a custom structure that has black plastic pan over the bug zapper to protect it from the rain since mine is positioned out in the middle of the yard. You can also hang the bug zapper under whatever over-hang your roof has. Just make sure that the light is exposed to your yard to attract the bugs.
Alexi

y0rascal

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Re: anyone else having problems with "Cuban May Beetle"?
« Reply #7 on: May 14, 2014, 10:02:27 PM »
http://www.amazon.com/Flowtron-BK-15D-Electronic-Insect-Coverage/dp/B00004R9VZ/ref=lp_3738021_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1400117921&sr=1-1

what do you guys think of this one? the 1 acre one to get the 40w bulb or is the 1/2 acre bright enough? my yard is way smaller than 1/2 and acre.

Tropicdude

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Re: anyone else having problems with "Cuban May Beetle"?
« Reply #8 on: May 14, 2014, 11:13:35 PM »
You should give Neem oil a try.
William
" The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago.....The second best time, is now ! "

fruitlovers

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Re: anyone else having problems with "Cuban May Beetle"?
« Reply #9 on: May 15, 2014, 12:16:48 AM »
The grubs of these beetles are probably in your own lawn. There are biological controls you can introduce into your lawn, i think nematodes, which will be a more permanent fix. Google it.
About bug zappers, much cheaper and easier to use a garden solar light over a pan of soapy water. Bettles are attracted by light and killed by soapy water. You can place this close to affected trees.
Neem will also deter them, but is not a long term fix.
Oscar

strkpr00

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Re: anyone else having problems with "Cuban May Beetle"?
« Reply #10 on: May 15, 2014, 08:04:23 AM »
in my yard they are also attracted by the light and the buffo toads eat all night when the beetles crash and fall.

gnappi

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Re: anyone else having problems with "Cuban May Beetle"?
« Reply #11 on: May 15, 2014, 08:39:44 AM »
You should give Neem oil a try.

I've used neem before, it didn't help with the beetles, scale, whitefly or anything else that I got. I wonder if anyone actually had success using it?
Regards,

   Gary

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Re: anyone else having problems with "Cuban May Beetle"?
« Reply #12 on: May 15, 2014, 10:59:27 AM »
The cuban may beetles don't normally eat mango leaves. Generally it's the sri lankan weevil which feeds on mango.

A great way to eliminate the cuban may beetle is to get rid of the grass (ie, mulch over your yard), which removes the food source from the grubs. Oddly enough, they don't seem to travel far. So even though your neighbor has grass (but you don't), they won't venture into your yard.

Sri lankan weevils are much more of a problem. Eliminating grass doesn't seem to help with them.
Jeff  :-)

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Re: anyone else having problems with "Cuban May Beetle"?
« Reply #13 on: May 15, 2014, 11:00:43 AM »
yO, I have never seen a Cuban Beetle, But here on Central West coast Florida I have used Triple action Neem oil and has worked very good for me, I had an infestation of spotted mite last year, and NeemPlus , was the only thing that worked for me, with those mites. I have used a Orthene 97,it is for trees and Plants. Here some  nursery's use it on all of their plants. I used it on white flies ,this week,and seems to be working. It is a take no prisoners, product, will kill lizards and all slugs, snails ect.
Caribbean Carlos

kalan

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Re: anyone else having problems with "Cuban May Beetle"?
« Reply #14 on: May 15, 2014, 10:28:51 PM »
Don't know how much help this is, but I occasionally leave my pool light (led) on all night - I don't have it screened in - and I have several dozen up to a hundred or so in the morning. I then watch the grackles swoop in one by one to finish them off for breakfast. Semi natural tactic with virtually zero waste and no chemicals (unless you count the chlorine in my pool).

Also tried nematodes from arbico organics ... Seems to have helped. I also have many garden spiders who seem to keep my bug populations down a bit. The benefit off being pesticide free.
Keith

y0rascal

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Re: anyone else having problems with "Cuban May Beetle"?
« Reply #15 on: May 16, 2014, 01:59:02 PM »
Sorry guys the pics are upside down, however this is the damage these pests are doing to the tree.





















Tropicalgrower89

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Re: anyone else having problems with "Cuban May Beetle"?
« Reply #16 on: May 16, 2014, 02:05:44 PM »
That doesn't look like Cuban May beetle damage.
Alexi

y0rascal

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Re: anyone else having problems with "Cuban May Beetle"?
« Reply #17 on: May 16, 2014, 02:11:43 PM »
I will take a picture of the suckers tonight since they only come out at night. they use to come out in the day, but they are smarter now.

HMHausman

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Re: anyone else having problems with "Cuban May Beetle"?
« Reply #18 on: May 16, 2014, 10:53:59 PM »
Plant a momoncillo tree or two.  That's their favorite......followed by mamey.  They won't touch your mangoes.  I have clouds of these damned pests in my yard
Harry
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y0rascal

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Re: anyone else having problems with "Cuban May Beetle"?
« Reply #19 on: May 19, 2014, 07:13:12 PM »





Got some pictures of the bastards.  Will try to take some bettee pictures had a hard time vecause I ci uldnt see it until after I took the oic. And these two were humping.  What are these then?

kalan

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Re: anyone else having problems with "Cuban May Beetle"?
« Reply #20 on: May 19, 2014, 10:30:16 PM »





Got some pictures of the bastards.  Will try to take some bettee pictures had a hard time vecause I ci uldnt see it until after I took the oic. And these two were humping.  What are these then?

If I'm not mistaken, may beetles do damage around the periphery of the leaf. Pictures of the insects don't sell me on May beetles at all. And I agree: plant a Mamey and you'll see them swarm to it.
Keith

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Re: anyone else having problems with "Cuban May Beetle"?
« Reply #21 on: May 20, 2014, 10:32:44 AM »
cuban may beetles are fond of the following (in my yard):

 - Some eugenias (eg, jaboticaba, cherry rio grande)
 - Persimmon
 - Mamey sapote
 - Canistel
 - Caimito
 - Tamarind

They won't just eat a couple of bites here and there. They will devour leaves in their entirety in mass swarms, just leaving the thicker veins behind.

At least one of the kent pictures from above looked like it may be fungus that's causing those holes.
Jeff  :-)

y0rascal

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Re: anyone else having problems with "Cuban May Beetle"?
« Reply #22 on: May 20, 2014, 11:54:18 AM »
Cookie I am certain those bugs are eating the leaves, they are even chewing on the branches... i need to identify these buggers, I spray sevin to see if that might deter them on sunday night. I will follow up tonight for an update.

also they are sticking leaves together and planting their eggs/ larve. I pull the leaves apart and squish the furry white stuff with black pebbles inside of it.

fruitlovers

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Re: anyone else having problems with "Cuban May Beetle"?
« Reply #23 on: May 21, 2014, 05:18:16 AM »
Cookie I am certain those bugs are eating the leaves, they are even chewing on the branches... i need to identify these buggers, I spray sevin to see if that might deter them on sunday night. I will follow up tonight for an update.

also they are sticking leaves together and planting their eggs/ larve. I pull the leaves apart and squish the furry white stuff with black pebbles inside of it.

Those can't be May beetles because they lay their eggs in the soil, not on leaves. Here is what May beetles look like:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/2951/bgimage
Info on May beetles:
http://www.pestproducts.com/junebeetle.htm
You can identify whatever bug you have on your leaves by putting one in a zip lock bag and taking it to your local ag department. They will probably have an entomologist that can help you ID it. They should be able to tell you about what are the best control methods also.
Oscar

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Re: anyone else having problems with "Cuban May Beetle"?
« Reply #24 on: May 21, 2014, 06:09:15 AM »
Very interesting that first link Oscar.3 or 4 times (the last was 3 years ago) after early heavy wet season rains masses of beetles that look a lot like those May Beetles, were clustered all over trees in my yard in the morning. My 10 ducks were stuffed and the beetles were clustered everywhere but only chewing foliage of a few species but focussed on tropical guavas, and they had nearly stripped my trees. I bagged 25lbs of beetles on one occasion and fed them to the ducks. When I shook branched pounds of them dropped and dug in the soil as all did when the sun came up. They were gone after a few days and I couldn't find references to these pests in Australia.