How to Get Rid of Japanese Beetles: 11 Steps (with Pictures) (2024)

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Co-authored byRachel Cho

Last Updated: October 19, 2021References

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   Hand-pick the beetles and drown them if there are only a few. Hand-picking the beetles off of your plants and drowning them in a bucket of soapy water can help to reduce their numbers. Fill a large bucket with 1USgal (3.8L) of water and 1UStbsp (15mL) of dish soap. Then, pull the beetles off of your plants and place them into the bucket of soapy water.^[2]

   • If you come across a plant with several beetles on it, then you can also shake them directly into your bucket.

   Tip: You could also capture and release the beetles outside of your garden if you prefer not to kill them. However, they might come right back into your yard. Drowning the beetles ensures that they will not come back.

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   Plant geraniums if you want to distract them from other plants. Japanese beetles are drawn to the scent of geraniums. You might be able to deter them from chowing down on other plants in your garden by planting geraniums in another area of your yard.^[3]

   • Check the geraniums once or twice per day for Japanese beetles and hand pick them off. Drown them in a bucket of soapy water to reduce their numbers.
   • You might also notice Japanese beetles on the ground near geraniums. The scent of geraniums makes Japanese beetles dizzy and they might fall off of the plants as a result.
3. See Also

   How to Get Rid of Japanese Beetles9 Ways to Rid Your Garden of Japanese BeetlesJapanese Beetles: How to Get Rid, Control, and Kill Japanese BeetlesHow to Get Rid of Japanese Beetles in the Garden

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   Use crop covers if you want to protect plants that beetles favor. A simple way to keep beetles off of your plants is to cover them with mesh crop covers. These will ensure that your plants still get enough sunlight and water, but it will prevent beetles from landing on them. Drape a crop cover over the plants that you want to protect from Japanese beetles, such as roses, beans, grapes, or any other plants they have been targeting.^[4]

   • Keep in mind that crop covers will also keep important insects, such as bees, away from your plants. If your plants need to be pollinated, such as flowers, then remove the crop cover for a few hours each day.
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   Apply a neem oil insecticide to plants if you want an organic option. Neem oil is an effective insecticide for Japanese beetles and it will not harm other types of beneficial insects, such as bees and worms.^[5] Look for a product with the main active ingredient “azadirachtin” and apply it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

   • Since adult beetles ingest neem oil and pass it onto their eggs, it may help to reduce the population of Japanese beetles in your garden.
   • Make sure that you do not use neem oil if you live near a lake or stream since it can be harmful to fish.^[6]
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   Spray plants with an insecticide if you have a major infestation. If you have a large number of Japanese beetles and other techniques for getting rid of them are not working, then you might need to use an insecticide to kill them. Choose an insecticide that targets Japanese beetles and spray the affected plants in your garden.^[7]

   • Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use.
   • Apply the insecticide early in the morning when the beetles are most active.
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   Avoid Japanese beetle traps if you don’t want to attract more beetles. These traps might seem like an effective way to get rid of Japanese beetles because of the large number they can catch. However, the traps use scent to attract Japanese beetles, which means that they will be drawn to your yard and you may end up with an even bigger problem. In the process of getting to the trap, they are likely to find plants to chew on.^[8]

   • If you decide to use a Japanese beetle trap, place it far away—preferably 0.25mi (0.40km) or more—away from the plants you’re trying to protect.
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   Plant things Japanese beetles don't eat to reduce their numbers. If you have several plants in your garden that Japanese beetles enjoy, then they are more likely to be drawn to your yard. Try planting things that Japanese beetles do not eat to help deter them from your yard. Some good items to plant include:^[9]

   • Arborvitae, Ash, Boxwood, Burning Bush,^[10] Dogwood, Firs, Hemlock, Holly, Junipers, Lilac, Magnolia, Oaks, Pines, Redbud, Red Maple, and Rhododendron.

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   Look for patches of brown or yellow grass in your yard. If you notice that your lawn has some brown or yellow patches of dead grass, then this may be a sign that there are a large number of Japanese beetle grubs in the soil. Treat your lawn as soon as possible to cut back on the number of beetle grubs that grow into adults.^[11]

   • Be aware that not treating a lawn infestation may also kill your lawn.
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   Introduce parasitic nematodes into your lawn to attack the grubs. You can purchase a liquid nematode product also known as Heterorhabditis bacteriophora to apply to your lawn like a pesticide. Spray the solution on your lawn and then water your lawn thoroughly. After a few days, the nematodes will start to target the grubs and kill them. This is a great natural option for preventing a Japanese beetle infestation later on.^[12]

   • Keep in mind that this product must be applied when the soil temperature is warm and grubs are present in the soil.
   • Follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully for how to use the product.
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   Apply milky spore to your lawn for ongoing protection from grubs. Milky spore, also known as Paenibacillus popilliae, is a powder that you can sprinkle onto your lawn to kill Japanese beetles while they are in the grub stage. It will only target Japanese beetle grubs, and it will not harm beneficial insects, such as earthworms. Apply the product to your lawn wherever you notice the brown spots and it will spread on its own.^[13]

   • Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use.
   • Keep in mind that milky spores will not provide permanent protection against Japanese beetles, so you’ll need to repeat the treatment every year.
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   Spray your lawn with a grub-targeting insecticide to eliminate the beetles. There are a few insecticides that specifically target Japanese beetles while they are in the grub stage. Purchase an insecticide that is meant for treating lawns with Japanese beetle grub infestations and apply it according to the package instructions. Some chemicals to look for in the insecticide include:^[14]

   See Also

   How to Protect Your Garden from Japanese Beetles

   • Imidacloprid
   • Clothianidin
   • Chlorantraniliprole
   • Trichlorfon

   Tip: You could also try using a microbial insecticide, such as Bacillus thuringiensis. However, this product has only a short-acting effect and its efficacy has not been studied, so it might not be as effective as other insecticides.^[15]

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