How to Kill Japanese Beetles With Soapy Water

Japanese beetles can be the source of disdain and utter disgust to an avid gardener. Nothing is more irksome than to wander out into a garden or flowerbed to admire the plants you work so hard to cultivate to find a colony of Japanese beetles clustered on the plant foliage. Japanese beetles are dark green in color and have wings that appear shiny and metallic (see References). When Japanese beetles descend, it is time to roll up your sleeves and get busy with old-fashioned tools---soapy water and time spent plucking them from your plants. Remove Japanese beetles from your plants early in the day when they are still moving slowly from the cool overnight temperatures.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Mason jar
• Warm water
• Dishwashing detergent

1. Fill the Mason jar approximately three-quarters full with warm water and add four to five drops of dishwashing detergent. Swish around the water so that the water becomes bubbly.

2. Examine the leaves of your plants to find Japanese beetles. When you find them, pick them off the leaves with your fingers and drop them into the Mason jar.

3. Continue to work until you find no more Japanese beetles. Dispose of the soapy beetle water by flushing the contents down the toilet.

4. Repeat steps one through three as often as possible to control the Japanese beetle population in your garden.

Tips & Warnings

• Japanese beetles are most prevalent during June and July. The beetles lay their eggs in July and new larvae hatch in August. The larvae winter in the soil and reappear in a garden in the spring.

References

• Japanese Beetle Control
• Japanese Beetles