Japanese Beetles can quickly destroy a lot of your beautiful garden and your hard work has been fruitless. There are ways to combat these annoying and destructive little insects and have a flourishing garden, both vegetable and flower.
- Knowledge is Power: Understanding how and why Japanese beetles are in your garden will go a long way to preventing their damage. Japanese beetles life cycle begin as larvae; controlling the onset with proper chemicals will alleviate (but not completely remove) some of the Japanese beetles issues. Always be careful when applying chemicals to your garden. (Read more in Tip #4)
- NOW: If the Japanese beetles are devouring your vegetables and flowers now, immediately knock them in a bucket of soapy water or on a drop cloth and immerse into the water. This will incapacitate the Japanese beetles immediately for easy removal and stop the damage from existing Japanese beetles.
- Bug Traps: I never recommend Japanese beetle bug traps because they attract the beetles to your garden. I find it counterproductive to invite the neighboring Japanese beetles over for lunch.
- NEEM: Spray affected plants with Neem as soon as you see the Japanese beetles arrive. Neem oil comes from a tree; when sprayed on plants, it reduces feeding from the Japanese beetle.
- Ounce of Prevention: Prevent the Japanese beetles from having access to your garden plants next season by attacking the Japanese beetle larvae. Grub Guard will kill the grubs that eventually turn into Japanese beetles; this will only alleviate the Japanese beetles in your garden, not your neighbors.
- Organization: If you and your neighbors can collaborate on a community wide Japanese beetle control solution, the impact would be devastating to the Japanese beetle population going forward. A combined effort would yield marginal results year after year.
Adam Taylor
704-213-9974
Taylor Lawn Care, Inc.
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