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Catherine Boeckmann
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I have had success by adding a little Blue Dawn dish detergent & water in a spray bottle. I spray them on the plant as I see them & they die almost instantly! The spray doesn't hurt the plant & it is non-toxic to birds & animals. Hope this works well for you.
Japanese beetles will not touch a Vitus Agnus cactus, also known as vitex or chaste tree. I have 4 growing in my yard. I am overrun with Japanese beetles on my flowering Cherry trees and crepe myrtles. There are some vitex trees growing on the U or Richmond campus that are 30 feet high. They attract bees and butterflies. Especially bees, so if you are allergic stay away from this tree. Mine range in height from 3 feet tall to 6 feet tall. All have been planted in the last 2 years. They bloom violet blue and the 7 pointed leaf (looks like cleome or marijuana) has a bitter smell . They are drought tolerant but need water to grow and bloom.
Do not buy the traps!!!! I have been fighting with these little buggers for over three years now, and I am using milky spore in the early fall and spring now for two years and it’s getting better. My first year I put out the traps and I was getting several hundred every day. Last year I put out traps and I think every Japanese beetle in the neighborhood decided to descend into my yard because I was taking out thousands Every single day.. There’s no way all those Beatles came from my yard. I researched it and they said that they can smell for over a mile the scent that’s in those traps so I just escalated the problem when I put them in my yard . This year I just pull them off and kill them in soapy water this year and it seems to be working.
Hey this is for those in Canada here who like to grow yer 4 100% legal marjajuana plants per household. This little F%#×N Japanese Beetle loves this plant I've bin at war all summer with them because other neighbors thinks it's "SO PRITTY" & don't deal with it so im surrounded with people that won't kill it after I spend hours every day looking for the lil buggers and I'm finding atleast 20-50 some days in just a few hours. Anyone know if none chemical bug killer will work like Bug B gone or other kinds like that that are none toxic to anything wene it's used? Also does this beetle leave a purple fungus or infection on plants also it seems to effect the plants I find this colorful commy beetle at in big numbers. I've noticed this purple stuff before but it's all over in same areas as the beetle is amd same plants in find the beetle layin eggs in and eating are they connected this purple fungus and Japanese beetle?
Hi Dave, We have trouble with Japanese beetles. I have a lot of Raspberry bushes and they love the leaves. They also destroyed our new Japanese Maple tree. What we do is have a cup or pail of soapy water, mostly water with a squirt of soap. We take them off by hand. They are clumsy. Just put the cup under the leaf where they are. sometimes they fall in or I just give them a nudge and they fall in. They suffocate in the soapy water after 30 seconds or so. They protect themselves by falling to the ground so put the cup or pail right under where they are. Also, we use a trap called RESCUE Japanese and oriental beetle trap. We have killed thousands this way. You put it about 30ft. away from the plant they are destroying. This trap comes in a two pack. It's the best one we have tried because the pheromone is put on top of the bag. When the bag has a lot of beetles you can open the bottom (its velcro) and empty it in soapy water because they don't all die in the bag but they can't get out. It works really well. Hopefully each year we will have less. I know the soapy water is a task but its worth it. I would do it in the morning and afternoon. It does help along with the bags. Hope this helps. I got them on Amazon. Joann
They are devouring my clematis, climbing hydrangea and I am finding them on my whirling butterfly guara plant (Bee blossom) I found eliminating most of the plants/trees that they love helped to lessen the amount of beetles. I use a hand sprayer with a few tbsp of blue dawn dish soap, and some powdered garlic, fill with water...spray the plants liberally twice a day. It doesn't harm the plants but the beetles go belly up and drop to the ground within minutes of spraying. They also fly out of there fast! *you can omit the garlic, it's the blue dawn that seems to work. I had hundreds on my climbing hydrangea and after 3 days of spraying, I found 2 today. I just wish I had started spraying soap solution before the damage was done....next year I will proactively spray when I see the first beetle and perhaps save the foliage from so much damage.
Try sevin dust or a pump sprayer with liquid sevin diluted and Japanese beetles drop like crazy. As far as the larvae, spray your yard in August and September to start killing the hatch. I also have heard the arguments about hanging traps in my yard and I will take my chances by tying off a bag every few weeks and killing 3-4 thousand beetles, what a joy. That is a lot males not fertilizing eggs. There are a few websites that have scheduled spray times and what to use at the right time for your area.
At my place in Nebraska the Japanese beetles seem to go crazy for false Virginia creeper.
The nursery told me NOT to squash Japanese Beetles as that releases their pheromones which attracts more beetles to your yard. Traps, I was told they would be happy to take my money but not to put any in my yard as they attract more beetles to your yard. If hand picking Japanese Beetles drop them in a container of water & dish soap.
Ditto on someone who mentioned basil below. Unfortunately for us it seems to be one of their favorites. That and cilantro.
