Tuesday July 27, 2010

Life at Boulderwood:
...and Wings!

The Japanese Beetles have arrived and are congregating among Boulderwood's flowerbeds and lawn!  It is too bad that they are such pests because their colors are quite extraordinary and fun to look at. Obviously native to Japan, these insects have no natural predators in the States so they can run amuck on plants like rose bushes, hops, grape vines and more by eating away the leafy parts.  According to some online sources, garlic, chives, catnip or soapy-water spray are some homemade deterrents for the Japanese beetle if you aren't into chemically insecticides like us and want to get rid of them. Here, we actually don't mind insects so much. The only spray we use on the farm is copper sulfate to prevent blight on our precious tomatoes.   With that said, enjoy your stay in the Berkshires, beetles and bug buddies!