Ever since Japanese Beetles invaded the United States in 1916, gardeners have been coming up with ways to protect their plants. Rose and Hydrangea’s are among the Japanese beetle’s favorite foods. They are also quite found of Basil, Iris, Rhododendron and Wisteria plants.
If you see “C” shaped patches in the lawn, or skeleton leaves, or a colony of beetles, then you know you have been hit with these tiny terrorists.
Killing Japanese Beetles
Everyone seems to have their preferred way of dealing with these critters. The most effective way is to simply hand pick the adult beetles off the plants and kill them by dropping into a can of soapy water. It is a tedious procedure, but it is very effective.
Do not purchase the pheromone traps from garden shops. These exasperate the problem by drawing more Japanese Beetles into your garden. An adult beetle will fly up to five miles looking for a mate, or more food, or to find a nice welcoming yard for its eggs. The pheromone’s draw the Japanese beetles from miles around, trapping some, but pulling in many more to the area.
Milky Spore is an organic powdery substance that is very effective when combined with hand picking the adult Japanese beetles off of your plants. This powder disrupts the lifecycle of the Japanese beetle making it possible to rid your garden of the creature.
Apply Milky Spore in the spring and then again in late July or early August. The grubs will eat the powdery bacterium killing them off and spreading the bacterium of the milky spore to other grubs. This is safe for the environment, children, pets and wild life, unlike pesticides.
Since the war against Japanese beetles began, people have been looking for solutions. Give some of these treatments a try.
Baby Powder. Sprinkle cheap baby powder on the plants that are being damaged. Remember to reapply after a rain and continue to pick off the visible Japanese beetles to keep them under control. The baby powder simply makes the leaves less attractive, most likely changing the taste and smell of the plant.
Garlic Powder. Mix 2 Tablespoons of garlic powder with baby oil and spray on the leaves. Again, this changes the taste and smell of the plant making them unappetizing to the bugs. If you do not have baby oil, use dish soap.
Apple Cider Vinegar. Carry around a bucket with equal parts vinegar and water. Knock the Japanese beetles into the bucket to kill them. This is much the same as the picking them off method.
Cayenne Pepper. Spraying a mixture of cayenne pepper or hot pepper sauce mixed with water and dishwashing soap on plants.
