
Choose the Right Plants to Have Fewer Pests!
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They are devouring my clematis, climbing hydrangea and I am finding them on my whirling butterfly guara plant (Bee blossom) I found eliminating most of the plants/trees that they love helped to lessen the amount of beetles. I use a hand sprayer with a few tbsp of blue dawn dish soap, and some powdered garlic, fill with water...spray the plants liberally twice a day. It doesn't harm the plants but the beetles go belly up and drop to the ground within minutes of spraying. They also fly out of there fast! *you can omit the garlic, it's the blue dawn that seems to work. I had hundreds on my climbing hydrangea and after 3 days of spraying, I found 2 today. I just wish I had started spraying soap solution before the damage was done....next year I will proactively spray when I see the first beetle and perhaps save the foliage from so much damage.
Try sevin dust or a pump sprayer with liquid sevin diluted and Japanese beetles drop like crazy. As far as the larvae, spray your yard in August and September to start killing the hatch. I also have heard the arguments about hanging traps in my yard and I will take my chances by tying off a bag every few weeks and killing 3-4 thousand beetles, what a joy. That is a lot males not fertilizing eggs. There are a few websites that have scheduled spray times and what to use at the right time for your area.
At my place in Nebraska the Japanese beetles seem to go crazy for false Virginia creeper.
The nursery told me NOT to squash Japanese Beetles as that releases their pheromones which attracts more beetles to your yard. Traps, I was told they would be happy to take my money but not to put any in my yard as they attract more beetles to your yard. If hand picking Japanese Beetles drop them in a container of water & dish soap.
Ditto on someone who mentioned basil below. Unfortunately for us it seems to be one of their favorites. That and cilantro.
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