OK, SO I’M A HOMICIDAL MANIAC AT THE MOMENT. What are you busy offing in your version of Trouble in Paradise?
Besides drowning Japanese beetles in bowls of soapy water, I have my eye on some rabbits who seem to be working their way through the place. Wish my neighbor, Herb, who has a knack for trapping every manner of thing, hadn’t gone to Maine for the summer. Herb? Oh, Herb?
With the Japanese beetles, I’m long past the beetle-bag phase of my gardening career. I think that those lures just attract more beetles, and are just plain ugly. I lure them instead to their death-by-drowning by leaving in some appealing plants I wouldn’t normally grow, like a volunteer hollyhock that just sprouted in the vegetable garden.
The beetles really love it, and it seems to keep them out of the nearby climbing rose. Each day I visit the hollyhock and knock a handful more into the soup, as I do at a particular patch of ferns they really love that look like hell, all rusty-brown and tattered, but act as the trap I desire. (What plants are your beetles feasting on, either unfortunate choices or ones like my lone hollyhock that you’re using as a decoy?)
The way to reduce the beetles population, if it’s possible at all, is to reduce the population of grubs they come from, with natural inoculants like nematodes or Milky Spore. We’ve talked about this a little on the Forums, in a thread about moles (who love the grubs that become the beetles…one big chain of garden havoc).
So tell us now, truthfully: What is in your sight lines for getting real, real gone?
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Hi Margaret,
I read about knocking those japanese beetles into the bucket of soapy water, so out I went into the backyard ready to de-bug my new pussy willow shrub. No one told me, however, that as soon as you start knocking, they start flying! They were bumping into my head! I dropped the bucket and ran in the house, deciding to ride them out for the last couple of weeks. At least while on the pussy willow, they are not on my roses or other more precious things!
Laura
Welcome, Laura. Yes, willows are another favorite of the beetles, so they make a good “lure” away from your roses if you get lucky. I hate when they all start flying, too, but am persevering over here, one bucket at a time.
This is the first year I’ve had so many Japanese beetles. I’ve found that nothing gives me greater satisfaction than squishing them between my bare fingers. As for deer, they are always a problem, but I’ve found that the deer sprays are very effective – except in early spring and late autumn when their choices are less abundant. Actually I wish I could squish them between my bare fingers too!
I’m with Phillip. I’ve started to squish them sans garden gloves. The population has exploded and it’s take no prisoners time.
Welcome, Barbara. Sounds like you and Phillip will be very happy together. :)
Is drowning in soapy water supposed to be humane?
@Phillip: I don’t think it’s humane, but for some reason I always include the soap. The bubbles hide the floating bodies.
Good heavens, such catastrophes. We’ve been so dry here in Austin that I’m not sure any insect life is surviving — I’m certainly not seeing much evidence of it. Fortunately we should have four inches of rain in the next few days. On the down side, that will usher in mosquito season.
My solution for furry varmints is cats . . . lots of them. Mice, rats, vole, moles, rabbits, and squirrels don’t bother us a bit. Our six are so tough they even scare the deer away!
my worst nightmare are the beetles. They come earlier and earlier each year. June’s end on the persicaria first. I get one week of perfet raspberry colored blooms then thousands are out there.
Then next into the rose garden after the first bloom of roses and then I don’t see roses again until end of August or even September. I used milky spore diligently every three years on 2 acres of property dropping it by the spoonful every few inches. It never worked. I had bagged preperations spread twice a season, and it didn’t work. I had systemic spraying done and that also didn’t work. I used traps and left them outside my borders, it seemed to do some good but there are too many. I’m calling in the national guard next spring summer season to rid the property some how some way. I gave my daughter an allowance for every beetle dropped into the soapy mess. There were so many she gave up!
My other lovely friend is the woodchuck eating his way through my vegtable garden. Trapping hasn’t worked yet with my Have a Heart. Yellow apples are all still there. I only caught the stray kittens so far. My 10 foot tall tomatoe plants have all been pulled down, the brussel sprouts never sprouted and the kale and swiss chard is mowed down. I do not have rabbits nor do I have deer. I see them coming across from my neighbors yard, pillaging then leaving to go home….
I just returned from a hort./nursery show.
A fellow there touted praying mantis eggs (put outside in bushes – each on hatches 50-250 ). He says they’ll hatch as soon as there are enough warm days & will be 1-1 1/2 inches long when japanese beetles emerge in June. They will then eat the beetles.
Anyone have any experience…?
Welcome, Kittie. It is true that praying mantis will eat beetles of various kinds (and many other things) but hmmm…how to get the balance of beetles to mantis plus the timing right and insure the mantis eats every last “bad” bug? So it sounds theoretically plausible…but I am no animal trainer who manages to get even her cat to perform on command with precision. Will be interested to hear how you do with them.
“The bubbles hide the floating bodies.” I had to giggle @ that one.
The blossoms on my Franklinea haven’t opened yet, but when they do, the Japanese beetles will be there. lolling around and feasting. Soapy water always has worked well for me. If you’re grossed out when they fly around (and who wouldn’t be), try knocking them off your plants in early morning or in the evening, when they are less active and less likely to fly around.
Welcome, Deirdre. Yes, perfect timing: early or late day when they are out of it. Good idea. Thanks for adding to the conversation, and hope to see you again soon.
Oh, what a sore subject. Pole beans, and so far Neem oil has helped, but only marginally. I prefer the squishing method, myself, even to the point of sacrificing a leaf or two if necessary. My high score for one day is 22 mushed beetle bodies.
Decreasing the grub population is difficult in a neighbourhood, though clandestine Milky Spore applications on the neighbour’s yard is becoming more and more of a possibility.
Welcome, Andrew. Twenty-two is definitely an advanced practitioner. Good for you. I love the idea of sharing the Milky Spore; reminds me of those guerilla garden programs where they go from lot to lot in urban areas throwing wildflower seeds over the fence, rather than continue to look at weeds or debris. Go for it. Tee hee. (Actually, why not just offer to buy it for them, too, if it’s in the budget?) See you soon again.
Hello – I am a novice at the computer and while looking for the Obituary of Conseulo Vanderbilt Balsans birth March 2, 1877 – death in Southhampton, Long Island, New York Dec. 6, 1964, somehow I got on the Garden Archives. I was interested in the methods for Japanese Beetles. They are chewing up my Hibiscus and I have used the “soapy water method” also. I picked 45 off, there were several clustered together, made it much easier.
Early morning when they are on the screen, my husband flicked them off from the inside and I stepped on them outside. That worked also, early morning they are not as frisky and do not fly away. Very interesting that I happened onto this. I may never find it again, but, I have found many things while searching for information on Alva and Consuelo Vanderbilt. I have even happened on someone doing research on the Vanderbilt Family.
The computer is marvelous, but, I still find things by accident and then can never get back to it. I will have to make a note of this Website, so I can revisit. Thanks, happy beetle hunting, any other suggestions would be most welcome.
Welcome, Bobbi. Just bookmark us to save the address. Not sure if you are Mac or PC, so can’t tell you exactly where the bookmarks are located (on my Mac, they’re right up top). Such a good story of how you found us, and I do hope you do so again soon.
I am OBSESSED with picking these beetles! They took up residence on my grapevines several years ago and have become worse each year. This year I did buy some nematodes from Gardens Alive, which seemed to help early on, but now they’re back. Nothing to do but vigilantly comb through the vines each day with soapy water in hand. I hope this will reduce the populations for next year. Yech!
Welcome, Joan. Here, too, though I use a stand of ostrich fern as the lure and pick them off from there. Ugh, but strangely satisfying, too. Guess I don’t have to convince you! See you soon again.