Japanese Beetles

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The past two summers we have had a horrible Japanese Beetle invasion. They mostly attack my roses but also my hibiscus and even vegetable garden. We have tried Sevin spray and traps. Although it kills many of them they keep coming back. And the crazy thing is my neighbors don't have any. Any suggestions on how to get rid of these pests would be helpful!
 
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The best way to get rid of Japanese beetle is to eliminate the source of the which are grubs. After the female lays her white eggs in the soil they absorb water and enlarge into the grub stage. The grubs will be dormant from October to March when they begin to feed. The key is to treat your yard for them before they begin to feed in April. They are voracious feeders and can cause a lot of damage. Traps for the adult beetles generally attract more beetles than you already had.
 
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UGH....that makes so much sense. You should see how many beetles were in our trap every day. There are so many flying around my garden area you can hear them hitting into the side of my house.....it is crazy how they are all swarming around all the time. Do you know what I need to use to treat the ground?
 
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Japanese and other beetles are fairly easy to control using organic controls and methods. First of all get rid of the pheromone traps.. Pheromone attracks beetles......... from far and wide. They sense the pheromone and come to find its source, many getting trapped and many not. The ones that are not trapped end up laying eggs in your lawn and garden and become grubs where they do a little damage to the roots. This is the important stage at which to eliminate them and the best way is very simple and easy. Distribute Beneficial Nematodes in the early spring. They will kill and destroy the grubs as they hatch and they will destroy the eggs as well.. If the nematodes do not kill all of the grubs which is unlikely, spray Neem in the early mornings. Beneficial nematodes also control many other insects as well. Fleas, ticks, wireworms, any insect that reproduces in the soil. Your local nursery should carry them. They come in 2 forms, the live form on a sponge and the dried form. I have never had good results with the dried form so stay away from it...Make sure the nematodes are fresh. There will be a date on the little package. Make sure they are less than 2 weeks old and well refridgerated. Spinosad is also an excellent organic means to kill beetles of all kinds. You can use it as a spray on the plants or use it as a drench. Mulching your garden will also reduce the number of insects that lay their eggs in the soil.
 
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Your neighbors don't have Japanese beetles because they are all attracted to your traps! :) We used to have a terrible problem with them. My rosebushes would bloom and by the end of the day the beetles had eaten and destroyed all the flowers. We now use a yard service that comes out several times during the spring and summer. They have gotten rid of all the grubs and we have been beetle free since then!
 
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Thanks so much for all the advice.....trap is gone as my dog ripped it down anyway! My hubby found as she was about to munch on a bag full of beetles!
 
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Japanese and other beetles are fairly easy to control using organic controls and methods... Distribute Beneficial Nematodes in the early spring. ...Neem in the early mornings. Beneficial nematodes also control many other insects as well. Fleas, ticks, wireworms, any insect that reproduces in the soil... I have never had good results with the dried form so stay away from it...Make sure the nematodes are fresh... Make sure they are less than 2 weeks old and well refridgerated... Mulching your garden will also reduce the number of insects that lay their eggs in the soil.

Glad I found this, Chuck. I don't want to wait until spring and give the larvae a chance to mature. We have several warmish days coming up; do you think I could try the nematodes now? Or should I just get some neem? The raised beds in garden #3 are infested. I'd like to get the situation under control before the bugs multiply and start laying eggs in the new herb containers.
 
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The grubs will be dormant from October to March when they begin to feed. The key is to treat your yard for them before they begin to feed in April. They are voracious feeders and can cause a lot of damage.

What's your favorite organic method to eradicate them? I'm taking care of a garden that has a series of raised beds that are full of grubs. I want to get rid of them now and I've read about beneficial nematodes and some other methods - someone claims you can get rid of them with soap.
 

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