Milky spore products will last for 3 years on the shelf. This is great news because the best way to use milky spore is to treat your lawn regularly for 3 consecutive years. Once you have established the milky spore bacteria in your soil with 3 years of application, it will continue to kill Japanese beetle grubs for up to 20 years. So, milky spore has a great shelf life you can use to plan your lawn treatment program.
Does Milky Spore Expire?
Both milky spore powder and granules expire 3 years after manufacture. So, when you purchase milky spore products, purchase no more than you need for 3 years of treatment. Buying in bulk may save money, but buying too much milky spore and throwing it out after 3 years will end up costing you. It’s important to compare milky spore powder vs. granules to get the best product at the best price.
- Milky spore expires after 3 years.
- Both milky spore powder and milky spore granules have the same shelf life.
- Throw away and replace milky spore products that are more than 3 years old.
If your milky spore product is more than 3 years old, throw it out and purchase more new. Although some milky spore products may remain useful up to 5 years after manufacture, there is a chance that your powder or granules won’t be effective at this age. So, it’s best to stick to the 3-year rule for milky spore.
How Long Does Milky Spore Work After Application?
Once you have built up a large population of milky spore bacteria (B. popilliae) in your soil, it can continue to reproduce on its own for 10 to 20 years. The bacteria will infect the grubs, kill them, and then reproduce. Applying milky spore regularly for 3 years builds up the milky spore population in your soil, which protects your lawn and garden.
- Milky spore can sustain its own populations in soil for as long as 20 years.
- It is more common for milky spore to remain active for 10 years after application.
- Applying milky spore a few times will create a self-sustaining, helpful bacteria population in your soil.
Take the time to establish milky spore in your soil. It is worth 3 years of applications to create a natural barrier that kills off invasive Japanese Beetle grubs. Since milky spore isn’t harmful to people, pets, or beneficial insects, you don’t have to fear any negative effects of using it.
How Often Should You Apply Milky Spore?
You should apply milky spore to your yard 3 times per year for 3 years. This will build up a large population of soil bacteria that kills any invasive Japanese beetle grubs. Once you have completed this treatment for the first few years, you can pause milky spore use for 7 to 10 years, since the bacteria will remain active in the soil.
- To build your lawn’s grub defenses, apply milky spore 3 times yearly for 3 consecutive years.
- Make your 3 yearly applications in spring, summer, and fall.
- After you complete this 3-year milky spore plan, you do not have to repeat the application for up to 10 years.
- Since milky spore does not expire for 3 years, you can buy all you need for a 3-year lawn treatment plan at once.
The 3-year shelf life of milky spore products lines up perfectly with lawn treatment plans. So, you can purchase enough milky spore to treat your lawn for 3 years. Then, you can use this milky spore to create a self-sustaining bacteria population in your soil. This means you only have to buy milky spore once every 10 years.
How Quickly Does Milky Spore Work?
Milky spore begins working immediately after the first application. However, milky spore bacteria takes time to flourish. So, you may see minimal results after the first application, but each fresh application of milky spore will kill more grubs and increase your lawn’s defenses. By the second year of your milky spore treatment plan, you will see drastic reductions in grub damage to your lawn and garden.
- Milky spore will start killing grubs immediately after your first application.
- Grubs will die 7–21 days after the first exposure to milky spore.
- Repeated application of milky spore improves the grub-killing power of the treatment.
- Milky spore is safe for humans, mammals, birds, and other organisms—it only kills Japanese beetle grubs.
Although milky spore works more slowly than pesticidal grub-killers, it is a much better choice than competitor products. This is because milky spore only targets harmful Japanese beetle grubs and is surprisingly safe for earthworms and other beneficial soil organisms. If you have a problem with Japanese beetle grubs, milky spore is incredibly effective, low-cost, and environmentally friendly.
Does Milky Spore Have a Shelf Life?
The important facts about the shelf life of milky spore are:
- Milky spore products have a shelf life of 3 years.
- This 3-year shelf life applies to both milky spore powder and granules.
- To build your yard’s lawn defenses, milky spore should be applied 3 times per year for 3 years.
- After the 3-year treatment plan, milky spore will remain active in your lawn for 10–20 years.
- Since milky spore’s shelf life lines up with the treatment plan, you can buy all the milky spore you need at once.
Now that you know exactly what to expect from the milky spore products you buy, you can select one and begin treating your yard today. You will be using one of the most natural, safe, and effective weapons against Japanese beetle infestation.
