Win the War Against the Japanese Beetles!

Japanese Beetles. Two little words that strike fear into any and every gardener.  Beginning in mid-June, these shiny, ravenous, and single-minded beetles devour everything in sight.  Their job on this earth is to devour leaves with gusto, sleep and have sex.  That’s it. 

They can defoliate a Japanese maple in a few days, ruin an entire crop of vegetables, and eliminate the majority of leaves on hops.  I can personally attest to the destruction of my son’s prized hops.  He has been brewing his own beer for the past few years and we thought it would be fun to grow hops for the beer.  I thought it would be a great Mom and son bonding experience.  Needless to say, Mom tends to the hops and son drinks the beer.

I digress.  Japanese beetles are mean, self-centered and sex-starved insects.  Don’t be fooled by the lovely green iridescent shell or small size, they have power behind those jaws of theirs.  They thrive on the gardener who might be out of town, blindly unaware that, while visiting Disneyworld, every leaf of his roses, grape vines, beans and peas are being eaten.  What remains resembles green lacework, similar to grandma’s doilies.  It’s heartbreaking!

There are weapons against the overachieving beetle. 

First, you must be cognoscente of the types of plants the Japanese beetle love.  Personally, I have found that they are very desirous of climbing hydrangea, roses, Japanese maple, Virginia creeper, many vegetables, hops and the Linden tree.  Last year I saw some Linden trees, nearly defoliated by beetles, bounce back like new this year. 

If they’re not in your yard right now, please know that they will soon be there, ingesting leaves and having beetle sex with any one beetle who is willing.  That’s the thing about Japanese beetles; they’re not particular about a mate and only slightly particular about plant material!

I’ve now peaked your interest; it’s time to run outside and check your plants.  Check your roses and vegetables first.  If you have a Japanese maple, check that as well. 

If you don’t see anything, that doesn’t mean that they’re not there.  Shake the leaves a little.  Did you see some bugs flying out of that tree?  Were they shiny green with a little brown on the outer shell?  Stop your screaming and cussing and pull yourself together.  You have weapons at your disposal, now is the time to suck it up and decide how you’re going to fight this battle.  You’re in it to win it, aren’t you? 

Good.  You have options where the beetles are concerned.  You can do nothing.  They will continue to devour your plants causing your blood to boil.  Is that an option you’re willing to take?  If it’s not, there are a few ways to beat the beetles. 

The first is called “Sevin.”  Like the number, but with an “ i” instead of an “e”.   It can be found in spray or power form at any hardware or garden store.  I like the spray because it allows you to spray deep inside any plant.  Spray at the first sight of beetles; it lasts nearly 2 weeks. 

Another option is called “Milky Spore.”  This became popular a few years ago because it doesn’t hard beneficial insects.  Sevin isn’t selective; it will kill most insects, even the good ones.  Milky Spore looks like talcum power and is applied in front of areas that are prone to beetle browsing.  I used it a few years ago in a large area where I had a hedge of roses.  It becomes more effective over time and with rain it seeps into the ground.  Unfortunately, all the roses got a virus and had to be destroyed.  The folks that manufacture Milky Spore say it works best if your neighbors use it as well.  They also say that it may need to be applied 2 to 4 years in a row to become its most effective. 

Japanese beetle traps are very popular and last the entire “Japanese beetle” season.  The scent of the trap mimics that of a female beetle.  Like I said before, all they want to do is have sex and die.  Well, with the beetle trap they do die.  They fly into the bag, assuming that there are tons of female beetles in there and they suffocate and die.  Not much of a life cycle…get born, hatch, eat, sleep, have sex and die.  The traps need to be placed in strategic spots in your yard.  They should be placed far away from the area where you are seeing damage.  I place mine in the outermost corner of my yard.  The common adage is, “Place the trap in your neighbor’s yard.”  If you are friendly with your neighbor, I would certainly ask them if it’s OK to do it. 

The last way to eliminate them is to drown them in a pail of sudsy water.  During the early morning and late evening, the beetles are slow. They can easily be plucked from a leaf and dropped in hot, soapy water.  I do need to tell you that beetles can pinch you while you’re doing this.  But, if you hate them, destroying them will surely make you feel better.  If you have the time, this is the best way to get rid of them.  No harm to other insects, no chemicals in the atmosphere and a great way to exercise your fine motor skills.  My friend, Linda, uses this method and gets a real charge out of squishing them and dropping them in soapy water.  She even counts how many she kills!

As you can see, there are many ways to battle the hideous Japanese beetle.  If you aren’t willing to stand idly by as they destroy your landscape, try some of my suggestions.  Battle wisely, and may the force be with you!