Master Gardeners use it. Savvy homeowners have tried Milky Spore. You may have heard about it, but what is it? Milky Spore was developed by USDA researchers after World War II and is considered the most important insect control ever devised by man. One USDA scientist, Dr. Samson R. Dutky, spent his entire 40-year career, at tax payers expense, perfecting Milky Spore and turning it into a fabulous product. But, what is it?

Milky Spore is a natural insect bacterium that infects and destroys Japanese Beetle grubs without harming any other life form. It turns out that the insect world has its own set of illnesses just as people are affected by people illnesses. Generally, insect illnesses don’t affect man and people illnesses don’t affect bugs. Just reading this story, you will breathe all kinds of bacterias, viruses and fungi, but they seldom cause a problem.

Japanese Beetles cause a billion dollars worth of damage in the United States each year attacking 275-different kinds of trees, shrubs and plants. Then, they multiply like crazy. Just 1000 adult Japanese Beetles lay enough eggs to produce over 2-million new ones in three years time. The eggs quickly turn into lawn grubs, which eat grass roots like a giant underground mowing machine. Grubs cause even more damage than the adult Beetles.

The grubs, however, are highly susceptible to Milky Spore, which, when applied to your yard as a dry powder triggers a below ground epidemic. The grubs swallow the spore, which grows inside them. The grubs die in about ten days and liberate into the soil millions of new spores that remain on guard for fifteen to twenty years awaiting more grubs to come along. Once established, the spores are always there like a standby army of good guys.

The spores won’t affect people, plants, pets or good insects. Its safe around wells, ponds and streams. Birds digesting an infected grub are left unscathed and bird droppings that fall to the ground form new colonies of Milky Spore, which is recommended by the USDA, the Audubon Society, County Extension Agents and environmental groups.

Milky Spore is the safe alternative to chemical lawn and garden pesticides which are under attack by such ecology groups as Friends of the Earth and other organizations that urge a natural organic approach to bugs. Milky Spore falls into the natural category.

Milky Spore is available at good garden centers, hardware stores, farm stores and at milkyspore.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Ted Reuter is a contributing writer and former White House News Correspondent for the Mutual Broadcasting System.

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