Does anybody have experience using nematodes in the garden/lawn to help control Japanese Beetle infestation? Where did you get it and what brand did you use?

I had such a bad experience with Japanese Beetles and my hybrid roses last year. I know they will just come back with even greater force this year. I also have Iris Borers, not as bad, but I thought if it was possible to kill two grubs with one bacteria why not give it a try?

We have used Milky Spore in the garden with good success over the years, but I'm sorry I can't give any testimony to the effect of nematodes.

I attended a talk a couple of years or so ago on grubs in lawns, and it was said that, at least in some areas, milky spore does not work as well as they used to think it did for Japanese beetle larvae and that beneficial nematodes are more effective. The talk recommended Heterorhabditis bacteriophora nematodes.

The downside is that Japanese beetles are good fliers so even if you treat your own lawn for the grubs, they can still come in from other gardens unless your neighbours all do the same.

I'm not sure that the same nematodes that works for Japanese beetles would also work for iris borer without looking that up, did you confirm it? The Iris borer is a moth as opposed to a beetle so different insect order.

Sue I did not research it, was just thinking out loud. Can you confirm that the nematodes I would use to get rid of Japanese beetles would not effect my vegetable garden? My understanding is there are many different species of nematodes and all serve a different purpose. i.e. the nematodes that would kill all my garden vegetables are not the same nematodes that would kill grubs. Right?

Yes there's a difference between beneficial and plant parasitic nematodes.

https://ento.psu.edu/extension...