How to Get Rid of Japanese Beetles

Heavens to Betsy. We had a major attack on our Burning Bushes and Echinacea this week. and well, those weirdo bugs were running into us every time we stepped out of the door. Last night I had one peg me right in the head while I was on the phone with a friend of mine, and she said she actually heard it! lol.

Okay, so here are some of the ways to RID YOURSELF of them. at least until next season. I might try and right up a prevention tip in August, as that is when you need to work on preventing them for the next year.

Okay so first you want to try and plant as many plants as you can that they aren’t attracted to. Such as mint, garlic, catnip and anything in those families of plant. Also,
Arborvitae
Boxwood
Dogwood
Firs
Hemlock
Holly
Junipers
Lilac
Magnolia
Oaks
Pines
Redbud
Red maple
Rhododendron

I love the smell and look of Lilac, so i am going to do this, and also the herbs. I found a few places that said the bags/traps are not really all that effective, that they can actually bring more beetles into your yard, and won’t catch them all. Well I have to say, that hasn’t been the case for us. We put one out 2 days ago, it has been pretty active, and I havent seen a single beetle on the burning bushes, or the Echinacea. (SCORE! humans +1) Now I do feel somewhat bad, for killing them this way, but I do know it is better then spraying harmful insecticides all over, and killing them and poisoning everything else, including ground water.

If you do use the bag/trap method (sold at Lowes, Home Depot etc) make sure you put it far away from your home and from the shrubs or plants they are eating. You will attract more then what was in your yard eventually, but the experience I have had, is that they go to the strongly scented bag, and not the plants. Do make sure you empty it every morning.

The majority of the information I found was to go out early in the morning, when they still have dew on their wings, and pick them off one by one (eewww, heeby geebies!) and drop them in a bucket of soapy water. Now I would have loved to do this when I was a child, but frankly, there were too many. I would have been out there all day.

Now another option, is spraying. I didn’t choose to do this, because we have some gorgeous song birds that like to eat out of yeard and landscaping. And like to eat the beetles as well. This would have prevented them from coming into the yard and eating a beetle and bug feast.

If you do choose to do a spray, try this spray before a insectiside.

2 cloves of garlic, smashes or cut in very fine pieces
1 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
1/8 of an onion, finely chopped
1 small hot pepper (any variety)

Mix all of this with water, and mix around. Let sit overnight or for 24 hours. strain through a cheesecloth and then place water into a spray bottle (bigger the better). Then spray the heck out of your shrubs, flowers or whatever they might be feasting on. Spray liberally, especially on the shrubs.

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