Organic way to keep japanese beetles OUT of roses?

Sharon Marie · Fri Jul 24, 2009 8:41 pm

How.. please tell me an organic, sure fire way to keep the japanese beetles OUT of my roses! Neem oil spray is not working---they are back two days later!!!!! Tried incecticidal (spelling) soap too - back again!!!

Wahrheit · Sat Jul 25, 2009 9:14 am

Sharon Marie wrote:How.. please tell me an organic, sure fire way to keep the japanese beetles OUT of my roses! Neem oil spray is not working---they are back two days later!!!!! Tried incecticidal (spelling) soap too - back again!!!

Unfortunately this is really no effective way to keep Japanese Beetles *OUT* of your garden. I would not even think about JB traps, as they only attract beetles.

Some people even waste time and money by treating their lawn with Milky Spore, to kill the JB grubs that mature in the ground. But that would only be somewhat effective if everyone in your neighborhood did the same thing!:lol:

Sprays do not work either, UNLESS used as a contact spray.
The JB's have to be hit with the spray, in order to kill them. You could spray with insecticidal soap, which would require daily spraying. I don't mind picking them off by hand, although after a while, that becomes tedious.

What I usually do is fill a small pail with about 2 inches of water, and a few drops of Dawn liquid soap, and I gently tap the flower heads over the soapy water. When the beetles fall into the soapy water, they will die within about a minute or so, but again... that can also be a tedious job after a while, if you have a large rose garden, like I do.

Sorry for the bad news, but these evil creatures are the bane of rose growers over much of the US, except Texas, and the western part of the country.

I lived in Georgia for many years, and the little green anole lizards were always a very welcome sight in my garden when I would see them perched on the branches of my roses, dining on those nasty beetles!

applestar · Sat Jul 25, 2009 10:01 am

OK this got me thinking. I'm having Japanese Beetle problems in my Ostrich Ferns. Now, I'd HEARD that if you make a spray out of mashed JBs steeped in water and strained, it repels them. Anyone try this?

I've been catching the JB's in plastic grocery bags and then stomping on the closed bag. Kids and I call it the Japanese Beetle Stomp, though the dance is somewhat other-ethnic than Japanese... mmm more Mexican Hat Dance?

So it'll be a simple "step"

to take it up a notch. (is that Emeryl? I think I have it wrong) I'll mix a batch today and try the spray tomorrow. Stay tuned!

cynthia_h · Sat Jul 25, 2009 12:04 pm

You need to set the traps *away* from the plants the Japanese Beetles are attacking. It draws them *away* from the plants.

If you have a large enough property, it would be possible to set traps in perimeter locations to draw the attackers away from the roses in all directions.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

Wahrheit · Sat Jul 25, 2009 12:32 pm

cynthia_h wrote:You need to set the traps *away* from the plants the Japanese Beetles are attacking. It draws them *away* from the plants.

If you have a large enough property, it would be possible to set traps in perimeter locations to draw the attackers away from the roses in all directions.

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

Been there, done that. I have tried doing the very thing you describe, and I collected probably a couple thousand beetles in the traps. Unfortunately there were many thousand more on my roses.

It never worked for me over the course of 40 years.
Are you saying that, that actually worked for YOU?
I'd be interested in hearing about this.

Sharon Marie · Sat Jul 25, 2009 8:43 pm

I've always heard not to use traps because it always attracts more beetles. I appreciate all the advise though. I have been just using the soap stuff on them when I see them. It's so odd. I have a whole line of rose bushes on the side of my home, and they only attack one or two of the bushes. They are all the same type of rose!!!! What makes one rose bush tastier than the other I must ask?

applestar · Wed Jul 29, 2009 7:33 am

I'm sorry, I kind of forgot about my offer to test the "beetle juice" repellent.

Let me tell you why because it's kind of funny: Since I posted, there has been a dramatic decrease in the number of JB's in my garden. It was becoming less of an infestation/nuisance. This morning, I noticed that an across the street neighbor who gardens "by the book" has hung a JB trap on the corner of his front lawn.