Japanese beetles

I am staying with a friend in North Carolina, and they are plagues by Japense beetles. They would be most grateful for a advice on any non-toxic methods/formulae for dealing with this awful problem.

I think you can purchase those sex-hormone traps, which are very successful for catching the beetles. From what I read last year, the hormone used is a natural one which baits the Jap. beetles and they can't get out of the trap.
Trish

Perhaps using a really natural method..Guinea hens, who eat deer ticks, beetles, ants, etc..

This message was edited Saturday, Jun 23rd 12:27 PM

This message was edited Saturday, Jun 23rd 12:27 PM

NO TRAPS!!! They just atrract ALL the beetles to your garden., While some get killed in the trap most do not and eat your plants and lay eggs and than grubs get in your lawn/soil. It is the grubs you want to get to and there are 2 things that work. Milky spore is a bacteria that kills the grubs for up to 15 years but it takes a couple of years to get going. Beneficial nemetodes are much faster acting and will kill off other soil pests besides the grubs and not hurt anything beneficial in the soil.

I know Gardens Alive has the nemetodes and I believe the carry milky spore.

If you use the traps put tham about 1000' away from any plants you want to live.

I plant garlic in every flower bed and around the roses. Japanese beetles hate garlic. I know how we all hate slugs and grasshoppers, but in their immature stage the grasshoppers live underground and eat Japanese Beetle larva. Slugs also reportedly eat them. Poultry of most kinds like to eat the beetles. Frogs and toads eat them too. If you can't/don't use the above methods, try a hot pepper + garlic spray with a bit of oil in it to make it stick to the beetles. The oil will help to smother the beetles too.

Thanks so much for all your advice - I will definitely pass it on.

On another thread ( and no , I can't remember which one) someone mentioned that Jap Beetles HATE four o'clocks which are lethal to them. I can't say for sure if it works, but I'm putting some around my climbers because they nearly got chewed to death last year.

There's a comment in PlantFiles about the 4 O'Clocks. I'm planning on putting some out in my orchard, figuring that I'll enjoy looking at them whether or not any beetles die, and if it works -- big bonus!

I tried not putting traps out the first few days last year when we were under seige, but they were stripping every plant in sight, and the traps did seem to take the pressure off.... of course, we were emptying the bags as often as twice a day! The dead beetles do smell disgusting. The big trick with the bags is to make sure they are well downwind of your garden area, otherwise the lure will draw more beetles into your garden rather than distracting them from it!