Malathion 57% is labeled for Japanese Beetles and should do a great job for you when used as directed on the product label. Malathion 57% is typically meant for treating large areas or crop land. We would recommend Talstar P. It is a insecticide that is labeled for lawn and ornamentals and is safe for plants, bushes, shrubs and trees. Talstar will provide a 30 day residual on the plants that you spray and should provide relief against the Japanese beetles whereas the Malathion will only kill the ones that it makes contact with during application. Here is a great article on treating this pest for more information.
We would recommend contacting the manufacturer Control Solutions on their contact page regarding using Malathion 57% at full strength and the affects on edibles to be harvested.
Malathion 57% is not labeled to be used on lawns or for control of crane flies. You could use a systemic product such as Merit 0.5 G for crane fly larvae. We have more tips in our Crane Fly Prevention Guide here as well.
It would break down to 0.55 - 0.73 oz of Malathion 57% per 1,000 square feet. We would recommend using that rate in 1-3 gallons of water in a handheld sprayer. Please see the product label for complete application instructions.
Over application of Malathion 57% can result in plant injury and ineffective results. We recommend contacting the manufacturer, Control Solutions, Inc. at 800.242.5562 for information on overapplication remedies.
