Japanese beetle problem

Is there a way to attack Japanese beetles that won't harm the beneficial insects we welcome: ladybugs, bees, butterflies, etc., etc.? Our neighbor loves roses, so beetles will always be a presence; but this year they've virtually skeletonized the foliage on my perennial hibiscus. I've heard mixed reports on milky spore, and it seems to take years as a rule to be effective. Traps just draw every beetle in the neighborhood for a good meal before they hit the trap. What about beneficial nematodes? Crab shell fertilizer? I'm willing to go after the next generation (i.e. grubs), but need something that will help next year. Any advice will be appreciated, and thanks-
Ruth

beneficial nematodes work well, but need to be applied annually. milky spore is best but takes a few years to be effective.. a treatment of both will take care of them in the grub stage however unless your yard is huge, you have to get your neighbor to treat their yard as well. my yard is just under an acre, i resorted to beetle traps and they to a good job on most beetles bit I sill walk around and tap the japs into a coffee can wit gasoline in it. (most people use soapy water - i do what dad did and keep a can with a cup of gas in the garage with the coffee lid on.)

i hope you have time to salvage your plants..

-joe-

Joe, I well remember that gas-in-coffee-can routine! My dad did the same thing and always enlisted my help, since he worked two jobs and never seemed to have time to live. Didn't realize the nematodes need to be applied every year; good to know. Your suggestion of applying both milky spore and nematodes makes sense; hopefully that would provide both long- and short-term help. The neighbor puts out a beetle trap, but that doesn't begin to address the problem, especially this year.

Thanks for the suggestions-
Ruth

I used two traps this year for the first time in a while - it caught TONS of the brown beetles, it cut down the japs to a manageable level but was most effective on the brown ones - change bait often! and it works. I did use GRUB-X on the lawn but can't say it helped and that was expensive.. I never did try the nemotodes and milky spore - a lot of neighbors and it did not seem worthy in my case to spend the money when they can fly from the neighbor's yard.. that has been my experience - hope it helps... and yep, I was out there every year with grandpa or ddd popping beetles into a can of gas as a kid.. .Priceless.
-joe-

I honestly didn't care for the gas can chore, partly because I wasn't fond of bugs as a kid, but mainly because I once was exploring in Dad's workshop, turned a can over taking it off a shelf to see what was in it, and dumped a bunch of turpentine on my head. Stupid kid tricks (lol); it wasn't pleasant, and my mother nearly had a panic attack. Gave me empathy for the beetles even though I didn't care for them.

How often do you find you need to change bait on the traps? May try them next year; the beetles are already dying down this year, so I'm mainly trying to plan next year's attack.
Ruth

the beetles seem only to be around for 6-8 weeks.. i only have to change it once - the cartriges are cheap.. i change them when i start seeing the damage picking up. I learned to settle for a little here and there. eradicating them completely would be nice...

Yes, it is thankfully a short season for the beetles. I too would love to be able to eradicate them, but know that's never going to happen. Thanks for all your help, Joe-
Ruth

Hi Ruth,

In addition to the other methods mentioned here, my local extension center recommended that I spray with Neem during the time when the adults are active in the garden. There is apparently some indication that Neem interrupts their breeding cycle and the subsequent formation of grubs. Sorry, I can't tell you how well it worked as, due to health problems, I failed to keep it up beyond the 1st year. If you are willing to use Neem in your garden, you might consider adding this to your list of ways to fight the japanese beetles.

Good thought, Cheryl, and thanks. My hesitation on Neem is that I don't want to use anything that will harm the ladybugs, bees, butterflies, hummers, etc. All the plantings done with them in mind are finally starting to draw lots of beneficial creatures who are also great fun to watch; don't want to boobytrap them with something harmful. Even the relatively benign insecticides like pyrethrin can harm the beneficials, so my safe choices are pretty limited.
Ruth