by David Guaman
How can I kill this type of beetle?
+9
It's my first time growing sunflowers and they're coming in beautifully. The problem is these beetles continue to get into the head of my sunflower and bore themselves in, eating the plant and leaving holes. I've tried dishwasher soap with water, and Captain Jack's deadbug dust AND chemical sprayer but they continue to come back despite treatments. Is there something I'm missing?
Hi! Hope this helps:
https://www.hunker.com/12112593/how-to-treat-sunflower-pests
To kill Japanese beetles, spray your plants with an insecticide that contains carbaryl, acephate, and permethrin. If you want to avoid using chemicals, you can spray your plants with organic neem oil instead.
Dish Washing Soap
Mix one tablespoon of dish washing soap with one gallon of water. After test spraying a couple of leaves, spray on the whole plant for aphids, mites, scales, mealybugs and thrips.
Ammonia
A spray made with one part ammonia and seven parts water also helps to get rid sunflowers of bugs.
Vegetable Oil Spray
Mix together one tablespoon of liquid dish washing soap with one cup of vegetable oil. A variety of oils such as safflower, peanut, sunflower or soybean can be used. Take about 2 grams of this mixture and mix with one cup water and use to spray the sunflower plants to control bugs such as aphids, mealybugs, scales and mites.
Baking Soda Spray
Fungal diseases such as black spot and powdery mildew can be remedied by mixing one teaspoon of baking soda with one quart of warm water. To this add a teaspoon of liquid dish washing soap. Spray on plants. Smaller plants can be drenched with the mixture by using watering can.
Check with your local nursery too.
These look like Japanese beetles attacking your sunflower. If possible just knock them off into a bucket of soapy water. To protect your sunflowers, set up a Japanese beetle trap, it looks like a plastic bag with a pheromone attached to the top of it.Hang this as far away from your sunflowers as possible, the beetles will be drawn to if, enter the bag and never get out again. Just dump out the dead beetles when the season for them is over.
Deck paint peels off every year. We power wash, restain or paint, but continue to have the same problem. We would appreciate any help you can give us.
Hi David, look for insecticide that contains carbaryl, acephate, and permethrin. If you prefer an organic solution to your beetle problem you can spray your sunflowers with organic neem oil instead
Hi David, this looks like Japanese beetles, but I am not positive, if it is, then this link will help you
https://gardenerspath.com/how-to/disease-and-pests/japanese-beetles/
Or try some of these,
https://www.gardenguides.com/138563-homemade-pest-control-sunflowers.html
Hi David: First thing to think about is that birds and squirrels eat the seeds. Any poison you put on the flower will impact these guys, too :( Here's a site that tells you how to get rid of bugs and not the other critters :)
https://www.angieslist.com/articles/insects-bugging-your-plants-try-these-10-natural-insecticides.htm
Good luck
These organic pesticides may help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/pesticides/neem-oil-uses.htm