Japanese beetles, what do you guys do?

[widwestgreenscapes]

Havnt seen much on here through searches about them so.... what are experienced outdoor growers doing when encountering Japanese beetles. I’ve been out smashing the fuckers everyday for about a week now. And have foliar treated with neem. Thinking about an imidacloprid treatment but I’m not super into chemically treating things I’ll eat or smoke. They havnt started to gather to crazy yet but... I know how these bastards work. I’m not looking forward to the day I walk out there and see 20 of them humping on top of my Death Star lol. so just looking to hear what other people do when they run across these assholes. I work in IPM, so chemically I fully understand how to deal with them. I was just too damn busy this year to treat my property before I planted and well now I’m paying for it. My mistake that won’t happen again.

 

[SweetLeafGrow]

Have you tried diatomaceous earth?

See this article - https://quirkbrain.com/diatomaceous-earth-japanese-beetles/

Here is another article that might help you.

How To Control Japanese Beetles Organically

Japanese beetles are destructive garden pests. Learn everything you need to know about them, including tons of organic methods to control Japanese beetles.

getbusygardening.com

 

[widwestgreenscapes]

I didn’t think of diatomaceous earth for beetles. Couldn’t hurt to try I will pick some up tomorrow, any other suggestions are much appreciated.

 

[widwestgreenscapes]

With the distances these bastards can fly, I’m wondering if at this point. Things that deter them from landing and eating are the route to go. Going to treat my property outside the grow later this week when I get sometime.

 

[freezeland2]

I didn’t think of diatomaceous earth for beetles. Couldn’t hurt to try I will pick some up tomorrow, any other suggestions are much appreciated.

My plants are 10 feet off the ground up on my deck. They haven’t found my plants luckily. But those jap beetles are everywhere else in my yard at ground level. My egg plants were covered with those suckers. I tried DE and they snorted it like coke. It didn’t phase them at all. Pyganic knocked them out though.

 

[Frankster]

P. Persimilis, a. andersoni, a swirskii, and a cucumeris have been used successfully by me.​

 

[rayi]

I have a row of raspberries at the north end of my garden. No japanese beetles except on the raspberries.

 

[widwestgreenscapes]

P. Persimilis, a. andersoni, a swirskii, and a cucumeris have been used successfully by me.​

The predators you suggest will they attack the grubs or the beetles or both?

 

[widwestgreenscapes]

Thanks for the responses, put down some diatomaceous earth today, last night before bed I actually sprayed the grow area down with a tea tree, peppermint essential oil water. And the plants themselves with neem there weren’t any on the plants this morning before work albeit it was 6:15am and when I got home at 6 there weren’t any to be found either. Gonna spray the area around the grow again with the essential mix tonight and see if it keeps helping. Definitely not trying to lose my garden to these assholes lol

 

[Pondracer]

I had them on my raspberries and grapes. The only thing that would get rid of them was Sevin.

 

[Thumbuddy]

I've been battling these little bastards for yrs. They dont seem to be eating the leaves on my girls yet they will land on them.
They always wreak havoc on our fruit trees. Tried every darn thing but unless you can treat grounds a quarter mile away...its for nothing. I found that setting traps out at areas away from orchard and garden will usually catch about 50 or more per day. Not sure what the wife uses in them but similar to a yellow jacket trap.
Atleast that's 50 less pricks chewing on my trees!!

 

[widwestgreenscapes]

Just want to put this out there take it with a grain of salt but the last few nights I’ve been spraying the grow area with a mixture of tea tree and peppermint essential oil mixed with water. Since I’ve only found 1 beetle in the grow I havnt been able to be there mid day yet and won’t be able to until the weekend. But have not seen many new bite marks the last few days. the grasshopper and mosquitoes that are usually out in the area are much thinner too. I’ve used this mix as a bug spray for years on myself and the kids and it works well. Like I said take that for what you will but those scents seem to at least for the time being be a deterrent.

 

[grnmtn]

We have tons here and I'm always flicking them off my outdoor plants. I use stylet oil and it prevents them from eating leaves. They usually are just sitting on the plants and no damage can be found.

 

[sTinkerer]

Others hinting at sacrificial plants. May be late for you this year. They love my pole beans, I see the occasional one or three sitting on the weed but no damage. I still try to keep them under control - I like beans!
Little hand-held bucket(Folgers plastic coffee container, grip on the side and all) with soap and water. It seems their defense/survival strategy is to drop off and fly away, just hold bucket/can under and knock them in. Pretty funny when they do the swan dive into death all by themselves. When they are thick I can get 40-50 in a few minutes. Does not take them long to die and they will get stanky if you leave them in there for a few days. Solution remains effective for a long time.

 

[ComfortablyNumb]

Got chickens? Japanese beetles are candy for them.
And chicken poop is 50% nitrogen.

 

[widwestgreenscapes]

So just. Quick update, the tea tree and peppermint seemed to be what was working. It rained heavy here Friday night, when I went out to check the grow Saturday about 9am I had multiple beetles on 6 difffent plants again. killed all those bastards and sprayed the grow area with the mix again and havnt seen another one all day. I will post an update again next weekend, just so if this does work others can see it. I’ll be spraying this mix every other night, unless it rains than I’ll spray again the next day.

 

[sportyridr]

So just. Quick update, the tea tree and peppermint seemed to be what was working. It rained heavy here Friday night, when I went out to check the grow Saturday about 9am I had multiple beetles on 6 difffent plants again. killed all those bastards and sprayed the grow area with the mix again and havnt seen another one all day. I will post an update again next weekend, just so if this does work others can see it. I’ll be spraying this mix every other night, unless it rains than I’ll spray again the next day.

Had them bad last year in Vegetable garden, dawn dish soap & water spray drowns em good as well

 

[GrowHobo]

I hit em with the super flick

 

[GrowHobo]

Apparently these guys will kill them. Wheel bug. Nasty bite if they get you though.

 

[Backyard_Boogie]

I know this is likely impractical for you and way more work than you want to put in but this is how I combatted pests at my old house. My shit was getting ravaged by flying pests particularly moths and caterpillars. Pyrethrin and other aids were barely putting a dent in it due to the nightly onslaught. A couple hundred bucks at HomeDepot did the trick. Some small grade lumber pieces, saw, drill, screws, stapler, and a roll of replacement window screen. In one afternoon I free-styled the structure then stapled on the screen. This was a huge screen tent almost 10ft high but if you have a small plant you can make a much smaller one maybe about head high and just lift it and set it over your plant...