How to Get Rid of Japanese Beetles: 3 Effective Methods

Japanese beetles are some of the most destructive pests to find lurking in your garden. They’re non-selective and will quickly devour leaves, flowers, and fruit – if any of your plants have skeletonized damage, take a closer look and you might spot these shiny, jewel-toned metallic beetles.

They’re a summer garden pest you want to get rid of as soon as you spot, as they can quickly spread and destroy entire beds and borders. Luckily, there are a few ways to get rid of Japanese beetles, from natural methods like planting Japanese beetle-repellent plants (including these anise hyssop plants from Walmart), to using targeted insecticides.

Here, we talk through three effective methods to banish these destructive beetles from your yard for good.

1. Remove Them By Hand

The most effective way to get rid of Japanese beetles is by hand removing them, just like getting rid of aphids.

You should do this early in the morning when they are sluggish, knocking them off the plants into a bucket of soapy water which clogs their breathing tubes and stops them escaping back into the garden.

You can use castile soap (like this from Walmart), dish soap, or an insecticidal soap (like this from Amazon).

Be careful not to crush the beetles when removing them, as this can release pheromones and attract bigger populations to your yard.

Repeat this regularly for the most effective results, checking near the top of plants where the beetles are most commonly found.

1. Grow Repellent Plants

There are plenty of pest-repellent plants that work well to get rid of Japanese beetles, as these little critters can’t stand the scent and texture of them.

Some of the top picks include catnip (you can get two starter plants on Amazon), alliums (like these garlic chive plants from Walmart), and tansy (you can purchase seeds from Amazon), all of which have strong scents and chemical compounds that Japanese beetle dislike.

The best approach is to integrate these plants among your most susceptible plants, overall making your garden less appealing to the beetles.

You can also plant them around the perimeters of your garden to create a pest-repellent barrier.

But, this alone won’t be the most effective way to get rid of Japanese beetles, though it will help control populations. It’s best to combine it with other methods, like manually removing them.

3. Use Insect Sprays

Japanese beetle sitting on top of a large pink flower

If you have a Japanese beetle infestation, you can use insecticides for fast results.

You can get targeted sprays labeled for Japanese beetles, which often include pyrethrins. This Bonide Captain Jack’s insecticide on Amazon is highly rated for beetles.

Neem oil (like this from Amazon) is another option, which is considered a natural pest control spray. It works by making foliage unpalatable to them, reducing damage.

It’s important to note that using sprays and chemicals in the garden comes with a risk of harming beneficial insects. For this reason, only use it where necessary on targeted areas and avoid using it during peak pollinator activity in the middle of the day.

To help control future populations, you can also apply beneficial nematodes. These are microscopic worms that prey on larvae in the soil. You can find beneficial nematodes at Walmart, simply mix with water as to apply, as per the product instructions.

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FAQs

Do Japanese Beetle Traps Work?

Japanese beetle traps (like these on Amazon) work by using floral scents and pheromones to attract adult beetles from long distances. For this reason, they do need to be used with caution as it could attract more beetles into your yard than the trap is able to capture. They’re best used on large landscapes, or at least 30ft away from your most vulnerable plants. Many gardeners use them to monitor for Japanese beetle presence, rather than an effective method to get rid of them.

If you can’t seem to get on top of your Japanese beetle problem, it might be that you have plants that attract Japanese beetles growing in your yard. Swapping these for more repellent and less-attractive plants will make it much easier to manage going forwards.

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