Jon Elliot

Go figure, this is actually a honeycrisp! I have confirmed that it is Japanese Beetles, I saw a ton of them congregating there the other day. Should I plant the milkweed away from the tree, so that it acts as a trap for the beetles? And then just collect and kill them? If I plant it too close will it attract more of them? Out of curiosity are there any natural predators of these beetles? Will ducks/chickens eat them if fed to?

Thanks for all your responses!

I planted some apple trees from 2-3 yr old nursery stock for the first time this spring. They are mulched beyond the drip line, and I've been making sure they get about 2-5 gallons of water/week. They were doing ok, but recently I'm starting to see what looks like something eating away at the leaves (see attached picture). The month of June and beginning of July was quite wet/rainy. Does anyone have any idea what this is?

Is it safe to grow Black Locust near (across the street from) a horse pasture? I have heard that it is poisonous for horses and cows and that it spreads easily.

Thanks.