Japanese Beetles - Organic/Natural Solution?

enkeli224

Anybody have any tips/tricks for me that deal with japanese beetles? They're starting to make a serious dent in my green bean and corn plants in my garden.

 I did an organic garden this year, so I'd prefer a natural solution. My neighbor told me to try a few drops of dishwashing liquid in water?? But I wasn't sure what my nestie experts would recommend!

blue_elle

Insecticidal soap - I use 2 tbsp Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap (it's organic) in I believe 32 oz water (whatever a normal spray bottle holds). Spray directly on the beetles.

enkeli224

Thanks! I'm out of Bronners -- good excuse to buy more! LOL

~NB~

Dish or laundry detergent (any liquid soap) in water, in a pail...

Japanese beetles are slow so if you can move quickly, you can hold up your pail or cup and knock them off the plant into the soapy water. We used to do this every day in the rose garden during Jap Beetle season.

Catlawdy_____

If you're fine with something non-organic so long as it's not actually on your garden, try the beetle traps.  We had great success with them.

enkeli224

Catlawdy_____:

If you're fine with something non-organic so long as it's not actually on your garden, try the beetle traps.  We had great success with them.

I had heard to stay away from the traps because I'd actually attract more beetles to the area? 

Catlawdy_____

enkeli224:

Catlawdy_____:

If you're fine with something non-organic so long as it's not actually on your garden, try the beetle traps.  We had great success with them.

I had heard to stay away from the traps because I'd actually attract more beetles to the area? 

They will all swarm to the trap, just put the trap in the back of the yard.  Ideally, your neighbor would put them in their yard to draw the beetles away from yours   But, since our neighbor never bothered to do that, we just put them in the back of the lot.  They work very well.

KYP

I'm so glad you posted this! We just started gettiing the little buggers.