Japanese beetles......need all gardening pros

[timer lady]

My yard has been invaded by these nasty creatures. They've destroyed my ferns, are eating away at my begonias, killed off my burning bush & most depressing my roses. I could go on but it depresses me.

How do I get rid of these things? I was trying to do as the university suggested, pick them off my plants & drop them in soapy water. There are hundreds of these things all over one bush.

Any suggestions...or do you have time to come & help me eradicate these little buggers?

 

[keista]

I'm remembering wood ash from the days of yore when I watched gardening shows. I never had wood ash (only charcoal ash) so I never tried it. Dust it all over the bush.

 

[hearts and roses]

Ew, when I was a kid we had these and my dad would give my siblings and I each a can of gasoline, yes gasoline, and we'd have to pick them off and drop them into our cans! Ewwwww.

Instead, you could hit up the garden center and buy some bag-a-bug things and hang them far from your trees and shrubs and eventually all the beetles will go to them. Alternatively, you could use a sprayer that attaches to your hose, fill it half way with Murphys oil soap, undiluted, and spray everything. It won't harm the plants but it will make the beetles fall off and hopefully die. Or, do both for extra assurance.

Oh and in the spring, spread some grub killer, the best chemical free stuff is 'milky spore'.

 

[Wiped Out]

No advice but they have invaded our local swimming pool-ugh!

 

[DammitJanet]

I know some bugs will succumb to tobacco juice but have no idea if these will. You can try. Just buy a pack or two of chewing tobacco at the store and soak it in a large bucket of water in the the porch or garage. Then fill a bug sprayer and spray all your plants with the juice. Its non-toxic and watery to spray.

 

[susiestar]

You NEED Neem Oil. It is an organic pesticide that is very very safe for humans and pets. It will eradicate your beetle problem and do NO damage to your soil or plants or the food you may be growing. I get it from ebay. It is awesome for fleas. It is unusual because it will not let eggs hatch. It is incredible for head lice too! It kills the adults, keeps the nits from hatching and they comb right out with-o pulling if you have conditioner on the hair heavy.

Just mix between a teaspoon and a tablespoon in a quart of water and spray away. BYE BYE NASTY BUGS!

Just to let you know how safe this is - it is in some beauty products. there is a product for cracked heels that is one of those as seen on tv thigns that has neem oil in it. I haven't tried it in creams that I make, and likely won't because it smells pretty strong and yucky at full strength.

If there is an organic plant place around you they may have it, otherwise check ebay/amazon and order it. You may have health food stores who have it. We don't, but this is a fairly small town.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...85:1&keywords=neem+oil&ie=UTF8&qid=1313686505

That is a list of neem oil on amazon that is eligible for amazon prime. If you don't have prime, you can get it for 3 mos free by signing up with amazon mom. It gives you 3 mos free amazon prime shipping which is normally $80 per year. You do NOT have to have an infant or toddler to get this. Just search in amazon's help for amazon mom and it will take you to all the info.

 

[ThreeShadows]

http://www.rosegardensbyryan.com/newsletter/samples/japnBeetles.pdf

Before using any chemicals you should call the manufacturer to ensure that your beloved dog will be safe. Milky spore is a natural bacterium. We are going to use it this Fall since my roses are also suffering. We finally move to a state where I can grow musk and tea roses, and BAM! the buds have been consumed.

 

[gcvmom]

Are there any adventurous neighborhood kids you can pay a quarter a beetle for catching the ones in your yard? Really no advice to add to what others have already posted.

We get those here, too. The adults like to lay eggs in my compost piles, and in late winter/early spring I dig out the grubs (they are really, really huge and really, really gross looking) and feed them to my chickens. No grubs = no adults

The U of Kentucky has a good page on the control of these buggers: http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef451.asp

 

[susiestar]

Neem is actually recommended for use with dogs and cats for fleas, mange, and many many other skin problems. Also for people. It will NOT harm people or pets, just bugs. Many vets haven't heard of it and will recommend more traditional pesticide based products for fleas - and they don't work nearly as well and are FAR more harmful. Some vets may say it is harmful just because they have not heard of it - if you ask if they have actually heard of it before they will likely say they have not. Because it is NOT harmful to animals or pets and is very effective on bugs. It is one thing that organic farms CAN use and keep their organic certification, at least around here. I have spoken with a number of the organic farmers at our farmer's market and they all rave about how great neem is.

 

[AnnieO]

No wonder I haven't been getting bitten this year as I usually do... My Mom gave me some of that "heel tastic" with neem oil...

 

[flutterby]

We always had Japanese beetles growing up, but they didn't damage the flowers because they hung out in the bird bath.

 

[HaoZi]

http://www.bhg.com/gardening/pests/insects-diseases-weeds/stop-japanese-beetles/