Japanese Beetle Control

Leslie Weber
Jun 22, 2024
1 min read

Adult Japanese Beetles show up sometime in late June and stay till September, here in the Northeast. They chew on the leaves of plants and cause major destruction while also reproducing and laying eggs to start the infestation all over next year.

There are a few options for controlling and reducing the amount of beetles in your garden. They actually start out as a grub in the lawn and you will see brown patches of where the grubs are munching on grass roots.

Here are your options...

Milky Spore Powder! This is used in the springtime. Paenibacillus popilliae, formerly known as Bacillus popilliae is the scientific name. A bacteria-based insecticide that, once ingested by the Japanese beetle grub, kills the new grub population.
Hand pick the beetles and put in a soapy bucket of water. The soap creates a barrier so the beetles can't climb out.
Pheromone traps !These traps are somewhat controversial as it is thought to attract more beetles to your area. Be sure to place the trap 30 feet away from what you want protected as this will lure the beetles away.
A general insecticide such as neem oil. If you do choose to use this organic product, be aware that it could also harm pollinators. The best time to apply neem oil is at dusk when most day pollinators leave and before the night pollinators arrive.

Whichever option you choose will only control the Japanese beetle population..not eradicate it. This is the time in your garden to take precaution against these damaging insects.

Which option would you choose?

Japanese Beetle Control