INSECT CONTROL RECIPE
Japanese Beetles
A morning hand-picking routine paired with a soapy-water bucket is still the most reliable way to keep Japanese beetles from skeletonizing your plants.
Prep: 5 minutes
Daily during peak season
Organic-friendly
Materials
A bucket
Warm water with a squirt of dish soap
Instructions
1
Head out in the cool of early morning, when beetles are sluggish and easy to catch.
2
Hold the soapy bucket beneath affected leaves and gently shake the branch.
3
Beetles startled by the movement will drop straight down into the bucket rather than fly.
4
Repeat daily throughout the 6-to-8-week feeding season to keep numbers from building up.
Tip: Skip the pheromone traps sold at garden centers — studies show they often attract more beetles to your yard than they catch.
