How to Get Rid of Japanese Beetles Naturally
We have some beautiful flowering trees and a few rose bushes in our yard. I may be in love with herbs, but I’m here to tell you I am not the best of gardeners when it comes to flowers. I guess I don’t have the patience to care for them daily as I should. So when I see Japanese beetles attacking the trees and roses that do so well without my meddling, I get pretty mad. This year we had to cut down one of my beautiful trees because the Japanese beetles feasted on it so much that there was finally nothing left to come into leaf in the spring. I just came across a natural remedy for ridding my yard of those darned Japanese beetles, and they’d better watch out. Because when I’m done, I’m gonna have a salad. (Beetles not included.)
If you plant garlic around your garden area, Japanese beetles apparently have as little tolerance to this as Dracula himself. I’ve planted garlic before, and it’s darned easy. Just go get some garlic bulbs at the store (organic if you please) and break open the bulb. Plant the cloves singly. What’s great about this are the greens that shoot up. When you have a nice plant, sort of like a green onion, pull it up for eating. You can chop up the greens for salads and soups, and you can still eat the clove. Leave the garlic in the ground even longer if you want a whole new garlic bulb.
Can you say health benefits? Garlic lowers cholesterol, repels mosquitos (and people if you eat too much), and lowers blood pressure. It’s a fantastic remedy for colds and flu, and if you need to break a fever, eat a clove or two. I’ll definitely be planting these around the base of my trees and rose bushes so I can rid my yard of those pesky Japanese beetles. Hey, another way garlic lowers blood pressure!
Learn How to Make Your Own Japanese Beetle Trap here.
And here’s one more Japanese Beetle Remedy.
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July 9th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Thanks Diane, I’m going to do a post and link to this post on Thyme for Herbs. The beetles just started on my last remaining rose bush.!
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July 11th, 2008 at 6:45 am
Thank you for this idea. I had never heard of it. My neighbors have a row of chinese elm trees which border our two yards and those trees draw japanese beetles from the entire state of Michigan.
July 12th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
I just came up with a concoction today that got rid of a lot of them. I took a 1 1/2gal. chapin sprayer, filled it with warm water, about 3 tsp of garlic powder, 2 tsp of cayenne pepper, a couple of squits of dish soap and a little under a 1/4 cup of vegetable oil. Shook at and sprayed the little buggers really good. They didn’t like the smell, if they eat the leave, it is hot, and the oil and soap stick to the plant. It doesn’t smell too good, but it worked.
July 18th, 2008 at 8:07 am
I was going to try some hot pepper on my trees. I will try that cayenne pepper recipe on my two fruit trees. I will put this in my garden hose sprayer bottle. I will grind up the ingredients and then try. I just hope that my trees are not too large to get rid of these pests! I must have close to a million beetles in my beautiful plum and peach trees. It is so sad to see such wonderful fruit go to the bugs! Will post again after I try this today.
July 19th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
I have a planter that’s attached to my rural mailbox. I put vinca vine, geraniums & dracena in it & I’ll tell you, the japanese beetles love those plants. Well, I tried Dolly’s concoction, only thing is I put it in a pint size sprayer, filled it with warm water, 1 tsp. garlic powder, abount 1/2 tsp. cayenne, couple squirts Dawn & just poured in some canola oil, shook it & went out & sprayed the plants. Before I was done, they were dropping off the plants, dead, belly up! This stuff really does work! We don’t have them as bad as we have had in the past, but if they do start on my veggie garden, I’ll put this mixture in my garden hose sprayer bottle too! Thanks!
July 22nd, 2008 at 4:03 pm
[...] pests are chomping up the jewels of my garden. Time to get serious here. I told you about how to get rid of Japanese beetles using garlic in a previous article, but aside from hanging garlic bunches in my trees (which [...]
July 24th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Way to go Dolly! I may have to post this one too. I have over 300 posts on this site, and can you believe this is the most popular one??? My goodness, I am not alone in my desire to rid my yard of them. I don’t usually get off on killing even bugs, but these guys are not indigenous to the region, or the country, so I have no guilt issues.
July 24th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
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October 14th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
I sure am glad I found this. My wife had a terrible time with Japanese Beetles and her roses this year. I’m passing it on to her so that come next spring, she’ll be able to wipe those critters out.
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