Japanese Beetle season holistic remedy
April 9, 2012 10:02 am
Hello Bugman,
As we are swiftly approaching Japanese Beetle season here in the midwest, I thought your readers might be interested to know of a totally organic, all natural way of dealing with these destructive little buggers. I read in one of my Grandmother’s old cookbooks that these bugs come with their own repellent. You just take a handful of the beetles and squish them up, mix them with enough water to be sprayed, and apply the water/beetle juice solution to all affected areas. Apparently these guys can’t stand the smell of their own dead! I know you don’t normally endorse extermination, but sometimes the Japanese beetles get really out of control, consuming entire grape and raspberry vines, beautiful rose bushes, and other plants we’ve worked so hard on! Thanks for all the work you do on your wonderful site!
Sincerely from a long time fan of your site,
Signature: Amy Berogan
Dear Amy,
Thank you for this interesting remedy to the dilemma many home gardeners face when Japanese Beetle season begins in June each year. This invasive exotic species was accidentally introduced to North America in the early 20th Century on nursery stock imported from Japan and it has become one of the most despised insects among gardeners. Each year when the Japanese Beetles emerge, they feed on the leaves and blossoms of several hundred species of plants that are grown for agricultural and decorative reasons, including roses. We will post and feature your tip and run it through Japanese Beetle season this summer. We hope our readers will write in and comment if this remedy works. As a point of clarification, all reservations we have regarding Unnecessary Carnage do not apply to Invasive Exotic species that compromise native habitat and indigenous species. Since you did not supply a photo, we have included a photo of mating Japanese Beetles from our archive to accompany your submission.
That would be awesome and I am honored, special thanks to Grandma, of course. Incidentally, I was the person that sent in those inter-species mating photos last summer of the two Japanese Beetles with the Grapevine Beetle trying to squeeze his way in as well. Have a wonderful spring!
Wow, that photo is positively awesome.
Hey thanks!! I was out playing with the dog and just happened to look over on the grapevine to see the strange threesome…
I am overwhelmed by these beetles on my Petunias. They seem to be attracted to the white ones the most, although they are not fussy. I am ready to give up and afraid creeped out by these pests. Not into squishing them and spraying with them. Trying soap and water and after a treatment watching them land by the hundreds. Tired of it.
Amy Berogan,
I find that squishing the bugs and spraying would absolutely ruin the fruit of my black raspberries and blackberries where I wouldn’t want to eat the berries. They even suck the berries leaving small holes.
Sevin works to kill them, but the spray also lands on the fruit. To die, they have to eat more of the leaf margins! I put out a trap made by Spectracide and it indeed catches them but I think the rose smell of the bait attracts even more. I’m thinking of having my lawn control place do the grub control to kill them at that stage.
I’ve even used a pair of plyers to squish them individually on the leaves. They are now eating my potato leaves and flowers and my yellow evening primrose.
I’m cutting down and killing my berry bushes if they are here next June. I’m in Indiana and I come from Colorado where I NEVER saw these bugs anywhere on anything!
Another nasty bug here is the stink bug! He loves berries too! I wish nature had a predator to eat these things but I’m sure birds don’t want that hard scarab outside in them.
They came from Japan on a shipment of iris in 1916 to New Jersey. (Wikipedia)
I hope a chemical company will come up with something to use that does not hard fruits.
Betty
Japanese Beetles have plagued gardeners in North America for over a century.
Amy Berogan,
I find that squishing the bugs and spraying would absolutely ruin the fruit of my black raspberries and blackberries where I wouldn’t want to eat the berries. They even suck the berries leaving small holes.
Sevin works to kill them, but the spray also lands on the fruit. To die, they have to eat more of the leaf margins! I put out a trap made by Spectracide and it indeed catches them but I think the rose smell of the bait attracts even more. I’m thinking of having my lawn control place do the grub control to kill them at that stage.
I’ve even used a pair of plyers to squish them individually on the leaves. They are now eating my potato leaves and flowers and my yellow evening primrose.
I’m cutting down and killing my berry bushes if they are here next June. I’m in Indiana and I come from Colorado where I NEVER saw these bugs anywhere on anything!
Another nasty bug here is the stink bug! He loves berries too! I wish nature had a predator to eat these things but I’m sure birds don’t want that hard scarab outside in them.
They came from Japan on a shipment of iris in 1916 to New Jersey. (Wikipedia)
I hope a chemical company will come up with something to use that does not hard fruits.
Betty