How can I control Japanese Beetles naturally?

Question

Japanese Beetles are eating my rose bushes and several other perennials in my garden. They are also eating my herbs. I want to spray them with a natural repellent--and one that won't "flavor" my basil. I would hate to ruin my pesto with a dish soap taste! Thanks.

Answer 1

The first step in control, and the least toxic, is a bucket or jar of water with a bit of soap added (reduces the surface tension of the water so the buggers drown) Then just go around and knock the buggers into the bucket with your finger. If there are too many beetles and something more toxic is needed then the Neem Oil sprays can be used. What you do is determined by how many there are, how much plant damage you can stand, and how much time and energy you want to expend on control.

Long term controls involve the grubs these adults come from and will be laying eggs in a bit that will become more beetles next year. Applying Milky Spore Disease, Bacillus popilliae, to your soil in late July / early August so the disease pathogen spores get down to where the newly hatched grubs are eating is one means of control, and there are parasitic nematodes available.

Strong, heatlhy plants growing in good, healthy soil are less susceptible to attack by insect pests so dig in now and look closely at your soil and start doing what is necessary to balance the nutrients in the soil so good, healthy plants can grow there.