Kent Heckeholz

Side-effective should be a word if it is not!  Or would it be side-effectivey? I think I will try your oil concoction on the sharpshooters.  I'm not going to get too crazy with the pest control as my orchard is still relatively young.  I hope things will balance out a little better when the orchard matures.  Thank you for all of that information, I appreciate it!

Ha!  Thanks for your help! I am not sure how I am going to deal with them yet.  I might try diatomaceous earth first.  I was thinking about neem oil, but just read that it can harm beneficials as well.  Any suggestions?

I know I am late to they party, but you could always do what my neighbor and I did this spring. We put an ad in craigslist that we would haul a dump trailer full of horse manure for $50 a load if they would load the trailer for you.  We found a few people interested, so we rented a 6x10 dump trailer from Home Deport for a week.  Most horse people own tractors.  We didn't make any money but we broke even and brought home close to 90 yards of material, enough to last for years.  Just make sure you get the insurance Home Depot offers!    

Thank you!  That is exactly what they are! For those interested, I found an informative webpage here: Sharpshooter The video of them pooping is kind of cool! Thanks!

Hi Chris!  No, the body and wings don't seem hard.  I can see the resemblance to a blister beetle though.  They crawl all over me when I am in the garden and don't bite.  They are very small, probably 1/8" to 3/16".  They also fly short distances.  Thanks!

I've seen thousands of these bugs this year. I live in the Eastern plains of Colorado near Denver.  The bugs are approx 3/16" in length.  They are covering my black locust seedlings, all over my corn and Jerusalem artichokes. My black locust seedlings are really spindly and have leaves that are curled. The bugs are either causing this or the trees have some sort of disease that is attracting these bugs. I'm sure they are common bugs, but I've never seen as many as we have this year. I've searched all over the internet and haven't figured out what they are. Anyone know what they are or have recommendations on how to safely control them? I appreciate your help, thanks!

Ok, thanks James!  Unleash the chickens!!

Hi all!  I was evaluating my orchard today, when I discovered that there are hundreds of this type of grub just under the woodchip mulch under almost every tree in my orchard.  I googled what they are and it looks like they are either June bug or Japanese beetle larvae.  I read that they eat organic matter including roots.  My initial reaction was to bring the chickens over and have them feast on the little buggers, but after some closer examination it looks like they may actually be beneficial.  It looks like they are leaving a lot of grub castings behind, which I imagine is a great fertilizer.  I don't know how much damage they will cause when they become adults.  Anyone have any experience with them?  Beneficial or harmful?  Kill em or leave em?  Thanks!

Great! Thank you so much for your time and help, I will quit worrying about them!