The Japanese beetle is one of the worst garden pests around. It can rapidly destroy your plants and trees with its ferocious appetite, and it also has a knack for flying around as if it owns the place. So the question is – How to kill Japanese beetles? Don’t panic, here are some great tips on how you get rid of Japanese beetles permanently.
What are Japanese beetles
The Japanese beetle is a pest that feeds on more than 300 different plants. It is a major threat to crops, turf grasses, and plants in the United States.
The adult beetles are oval-shaped insects with copper-colored wing covers (elytra), black legs, and a pair of tufts of white hair at the tip of each antennae. The larvae are grayish with dark brown heads. The adults can be seen feeding on leaves and flowers; they chew holes in leaves while they feed and move from plant to plant looking for food sources.
They are attracted to lawns and gardens where they feed on tree leaves as well as vegetable plants such as tomatoes. They also eat rose petals, fern fronds, rhododendron blooms, azalea blossoms, and many other flowers throughout their lifecycle which makes them hard targets for organic gardeners since there isn’t much that can stop these hungry pests from ruining your garden every single year!
Why Japanese beetles are Dangerous
- Damage to Plants. Japanese beetles can cause major damage to your plants if left unchecked. They like eating the leaves of various plants, including tomatoes and roses. The larvae of the Japanese beetle are even more destructive than the adults; they burrow into plant roots and feed on them until they’ve destroyed the entire root system.
- Damage to Lawns. If you have a lawn, it’s important that you keep an eye on it for signs of trouble (and not just because you’ll want to know when you should take out your lawnmower).
- It’s also crucial that you monitor any new damage from insect pests or diseases before it becomes too severe; otherwise, your grass will be permanently damaged and may need expensive treatment by professionals to fix it back up again! Fortunately, though there are several natural ways such as applying compost or mulching around trees that help prevent these problems from happening in the first place!
Ways to Control Japanese Beetles
Japanese beetles are a serious pest that can destroy your garden. They are a type of leaf beetle, which is a family of beetles whose larvae eat the leaves of plants, causing them to wither and die. This can ruin your plants’ ability to grow, making your garden look bad and reducing its value.
They can be controlled by a number of methods. One option is to use traps; these attract Japanese beetles with their food scent and trap them inside so they cannot escape (and thus avoid killing other parts of your yard). Another option would be to use pesticides instead; this involves spraying chemicals onto the plants themselves that will kill off any adults feeding on them before they lay eggs or reproduce more adults in future generations.
How to kill Japanese beetles naturally
- Spray your plants with a natural insecticide spray.
- Use a homemade spray to control them.
- Get rid of them with an organic pest control solution that’s safe for the environment and free from harsh chemicals.
- Create an herbal barrier that repels Japanese beetles from your garden plants, flowers, and trees by mixing five drops each of orange essential oil, eucalyptus essential oil, and citronella essential oil into 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. Spray this mixture on all sides of your plants every two days until you no longer see any beetles around your yard or garden space; then apply it once every week for about three weeks in order to keep those pesky little guys away forever!
Best Spray to Kill Japanese Beetles
Chemical spray options:
- Pesticides are the most effective method of controlling Japanese beetles. Several different brands of pesticides are available at garden centers and hardware stores, but be sure to read the label carefully before applying any product to avoid harming your plants or pets. When using a pesticide, it’s important to apply it directly onto individual beetles rather than spraying plants directly, since insecticides will kill beneficial insects (such as ladybugs) as well as pests like Japanese beetles if they’re not watered down enough. Some common pesticides include carbaryl (Sevin), malathion, acephate, and permethrin.
- Horticultural oils work well when applied directly on adult Japanese beetle grubs in early summer before they become adults so that they don’t emerge from their pupal stage later on in the year — however, these products need thorough coverage over an entire area in order for them to be effective against Japanese beetles; otherwise, they may only kill some individuals while allowing others free rein! If you want something less toxic than chemical sprays but still effective against this pest species then try using neem oil instead which doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals/substances – though unlike horticultural oils its effect isn’t immediately noticeable
How to keep them away
- Keep your lawn healthy. They like to eat grass, so if you keep your lawn well watered and mowed, this will reduce their numbers and make them go elsewhere in search of food.
- Keep your debris piled up away from the house. The beetles are attracted to wood piles, leaf piles, and other areas where things can collect in large quantities outside of structures. By keeping these areas clean and orderly, you will keep them from becoming a nesting places for the pest.
- Remove weeds around your home’s exterior foundation or along fences in order to discourage the insects’ presence on those surfaces as well as prevent them from laying eggs there as well (this can be done by hand or with chemicals).
Here is a guide that can help you get rid of Japanese Beetles.
A lot of people ask the question ‘how do I get rid of Japanese beetles?’. There are a few ways that you can control these pests in your yard or garden:
- Plant flowers that are not attractive to Japanese beetles, such as coneflowers, yarrow, cosmos, and black-eyed Susans.
- Remove plants that have been attacked by Japanese beetles to prevent them from spreading their larvae over your other plants and vegetables.
- Keep much away from the base of plant stems so they don’t turn into breeding grounds for Japanese beetles.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many ways to get rid of Japanese beetles and prevent them from coming back. You can use natural methods or chemicals that are safe for your pets and family, but they both work well enough as long as you keep up with the process to kill Japanese beetle grubs. It all depends on what works best for you!
Also Read:
What are the best trees to grow when you have a small garden?
