They are pesky and will devour the leaves (and many times, flowers!) of just about anything they come in contact with! How do you get rid of Japanese beetles? We are going to share different methods in today's blog post.
1. Hand pick: Hand-picking Japanese beetles off plants is tedious, but is usually very effective. Pick off each bug and drop it in an equal mixture of water and liquid dish soap- this will cause them to drown.
2. Insecticides: Diatomaceous Earth is a natural way to kill Japanese beetles and their grubs. Follow directions on the label. Alternatively, you can use a Seven dust or spray that you put directly on the plant that's infested and it will eliminate the pests. Neem oil is another spray that will help eradicate these pesky bugs. Be careful when you spray it, however- spray it in the evening to prevent leaf burn.
3. Traps: Japanese beetle traps provide mixed results. It can lure Japanese beetles away from your plants, but at the same time, it can also lure other Japanese beetles from other yards to yours!
Thankfully, Japanese beetles do not live long (around 40 days) and are usually gone by mid/late summer. Do you have a pest in your garden or a plant disease and you're not sure what it is? Come by the Nursery where we have a new Help Center (by our registers) where we can diagnose it for you right there. Have a great rest of your day and we hope to see you soon!