Simple Trick for Japanese Beetles

For gardeners and plant lovers in general, Japanese Beetles can be a never ending nuisance. There are many ways to deal with these despicable pests. Insecticides, traps....they will help. But if you have a few minutes to spare around sundown each day, you can get rid of a lot of beetles without spending a dime. Just water and a bucket. It works for us.

[@DonnaMSchmid]

My Dad used to say the same thing about the hormone traps... He said if you're going to use them, the best thing to do is buy a bunch of them and distribute them FREE to all of your neighbors (under the guise of neighborliness...). Then sit back, open a beer, and watch the little buggers trip over each other leaving your yard for one of the neighbors' yards! Hahahahahaha...

[@mhpgardener]

Sounds like a well concocted plan !

[@bookguitarguy]

Sounds like your father is (or was?) a great neighbor. LOL. What a thoughtful and caring guy!!! :OD

[@DonnaMSchmid]

@@bookguitarguy Unfortunately, "was..." He passed almost 20 years ago. Wow, I can't believe it's been that long... **wipes tears**

[@Enjoy_my_1st_Amendment]

That bucket full looks like a healthy chicken snack.

[@scottc8152]

I put a bucket with water out in the yard, and they drop in the bucket on their own too. My chickens eat them up (surprisingly).

[@theresabollman8061]

LOL...Motel 6 for Beetles, LOL! You should have your own comedy show, Bobby!

[@trollforge]

Muscovy ducks! I have 5, they spend all day under the grape vines. They take turns pulling on a vine and letting it spring back, raining snacks around them.

[@AndrewGasser]

I am so filled with joy you are back.

[@TheHighpotinuse]

The Lord willed him back

[@riverside321]

More fake people living in a false reality

[@BumbleBeeJunction]

Momma uses her a paint brush to wack 'em into a bucket, and then they are off to the chickens... Good stuff Bobby... Blessings !

[@hotrodhog2170]

Put you a few drops of dish soap in the water and that will break the surface tension of the water and they go right to the bottom of the bucket!

[@TheSoloAsylum]

I have found that burning the garden to the ground has a 98% success rate.

[@lylymongeon]

Oh my. Your comment made me spew my soda. Very funny. Love it.

[@lindajenkins3950]

I also add a little liquid soap to the water works great. We have them bad again this year in Wisconsin. I was hoping our brutally cold weather last winter would have taken care of them but no it didn't. Glad to see your back. I've learned so much from your videos.

[@mhpgardener]

I always wonder about the cold weather up north in regard to insects. I've been to Canada a few times and darn near got dragged into the woods by mosquitoes. They were huge. Must have been a cold blooded variety !

[@slick66]

I used the hormone traps and literally composted buckets of dead beetles every day. I did this every year just as they emerged and after a few years I see very few of them now and the grapes are fine this year. Order new hormone baits if the beetles aren't filling the bag.. the one in the video looks like it needs a new bait. Like any insect problem, it's really a process to get them under control and their life cycle has to be interrupted. If you use milky spore be sure to apply it on a damp soil after a good rain so they have the opportunity to establish in the soil. Put it under the plant species these beetles are feeding on too. Good to see mhpgardener posting a new video :)

[@magnusbelchfire4970]

shop vac works pretty good but I started looking for a craigslist battery-operated vacuum, a nice quiet one that doesn't disturb the sweet sounds of nature....There's something very satisfying about the crisp 'tink-tink' of their lovely metallic iridescent shells....

[@karenrogers2826]

I do the exact same thing, and I use a five gallon bucket . My chickens finally decided to eat the ones I caught, after I’d throw a handful of wet ones toward them. Talk about relief when those chickens started to eat them. I got so tired of going out to collect those bugs, but I did, everyday.

[@alkggkla5643]

Planting Four O’Clocks is a good way to kill them. Japanese beetles LOVE them but it kills them. Good trap crop

[@barbibutton9619]

REALLY??? TY TY TY

[@gritskennedy5007]

I have some growin out front can i put a picked bunch and leave it on a fence? Will they eat it ?

[@alkggkla5643]

@@gritskennedy5007 I couldn't say, but they may if the flowers are on them. They're super easy to grow anywhere there's some sun! Good luck!

[@alkggkla5643]

Four O'clocks are a new world plant, and produce a poison that kills the imported Japanese beetles. The beetles love them and can't help but eat them. Also, you can steep a bunch of larkspur leaves in a bucket of water, it'll kill the beetles when you spray it on them.

[@linedezainde]

A friend of mine hooked up an industrial vaccuum cleaner onto an old golf cart with a bucket of water under the vaccuum and rides between his rows of plants and gets to tge bugs that way. Fast and efficient!

[@cultivatingorganicbyjomig1719]

Great trick definitely will apply that in my garden. Thank you so much for sharing Bobby. So glad you are back!

[@SaurabhM-rg3xx]

Its cute how he went from "I'll see you next time" in older videos to "We'll see you next time"

[@jebdulles5809]

Back in the 80s my grandfather was at war with Japanese beetles. Grandma had a garden. Pop used the bag traps with pheromones. Every night he'd empty his 4 full trap bags into a bucket and splash them with gasoline. I have never seen so many Japanese beetles since then. I have applied milky spore several times many years ago and I only see a handful of the beetles every year now.

[@JChamberlin]

I had problems with those guys a few years ago. They really do just eat through everything. Their appetite is amazing.

[@AaricHale]

Great info ! I have learned a lot from you through the years !

[@chrisbgarrett]

YES!!! GLAD TO SEE NEW CONTENT, GLAD TO SEE YOU TOO! THANKS FOR COMING BACK!!!

[@hiindandes]

Nice to see you making videos again. I really missed them.

[@troyadams1131]

Also have Purple Martin's. I noticed the Martin's catching them in the air.Did'nt realize that Martin's ate'em till about three years ago... Martin's are great too have around your garden and fruit trees and brushes...Good luck Pod.

[@bna1988]

Feed them to the chickens👍🏻

[@dariorivolta5925]

Some ppl do it XD

[@jamesmedina6015]

That’s nasty mane.

[@mancavegamingandgardening9901]

This video reminds me I need to go defend the kale again....its the daily beetle murder spree. Glad to have you back Bobby

[@mhpgardener]

We have vegetables, fruits, trees, and shrubs planted all over the property. Every time I thought I had things under control, I'd find something else they were eating up. They seemed to come in waves. Despicable little critters for sure.

[@mikem1956]

Glad to see you back you were sorely missed !

[@janpenland3686]

Thanks Bobby. Mine haven't touched my peaches or blackberries. They are only eating one of my grapevines. I've never seen this before...strange. I've been picking them off and feeding them to my chickens. They love the critters. Much Love

[@mhpgardener]

The blackberries are 25-30 feet away, and we got a lot of berries this year. My wife picked the ripe ones every morning, so the beetles never had a chance to enjoy them.

[@hurdman7899]

I think that I would try the milky spore to kill the grubs in the ground. It goes a long way (don't breath it into you lungs). But if you applied it yearly and did your "natural" control, I bet you could really knock them down in two or three years. No way to stop them from flying in from the neighbors though.

[@davesterchele2679]

It seems to have gotten rid of our JB problem.

[@GardeningWithPuppies]

I do the same thing but I put some Dawn Dish Soap in the water. It makes them go right to the bottom of the bucket and die fast.

[@StAndrew65]

You mean I have to put some effort into it??? Outrageous!!! LOL

[@jimix5708]

I have never cared for the Japanese Beatles I have always been a Stones fan

[@barbibutton9619]

Hahahaha.... OMG 😄😄🤗🎯

[@cathyhanley8658]

Me too.

[@birdwell835]

As a kid my dad gave us each a mason jar with a lid and had all 5 of us find the Japanese beetles , knock them into the jar , which would have a small amount of gasoline, bring are jars back to him and he would burn them in the drivway

[@phil36135]

Great information, simple,cheap,and it works.thanks

[@CBsGreenhouseandGarden]

Awesome tip Mr. Bobby. Now that's how ya Git-R-Done!!

[@Sup_keke]

You can do in the morning too. They’re super sleepy in the morning and they’ll fall right in.

[@lloydedmonds8775]

It’s been 12-15 years since I applied Milky Spore. It took a couple years till I noticed a difference in beetles and active moles and voles. I’ve noticed a few moles starting to move in and wouldn’t you know; this year I’m getting hammered with these Beetles. I have my Pole Beans on Cattle Panels that arch 7’-8’ and hard to reach the leaved that are taller. I applied Neem Oil which seems to help. I hate anything outside of organics and hope I’m not causing harm.

[@htrice3able]

I’m so glad you started making videos again. I started watching this channel about a year ago and it’s one of my favorites. I learn so much from your videos.

[@juneengland7757]

You're awesome. Love you're Southern sensibility

[@sarahb9240]

I take my little hand vac and vacuum them, and squash bugs, right up. But I don’t have nearly as many as you do in this video- man that’s a lot.

[@FensterfarmGreenhouse]

Alright buddy! Coming back strong! Good stuff! Chuck

[@mbaroukjuma3863]

Wow!, we don’t have those beetles where I live, but that seems practical and it seems to work like charm. Keep up the inspiration and good work.

[@alaskansourdoughwormsgarde4392]

When I was a kid a long time ago, we used kerosene for heat. I used to fill a jar with that and throw those beetles into the kerosene.

[@karaamundson3964]

That's how my dad did potato beetles when he was a kid in Montana

[@welchfarmnc]

A bee hive brush works great putting them into the bucket of water

[@WhatWeDoChannel]

Thanks for the advice! I haven’t seen any yet this year but I’m on patrol!

[@johnniek8845]

Thanks buddy, I'll try it tonight.

[@angelalowe5987]

Thank you for sharing!

[@cindybonem494]

That was fantastic!

[@spiritualspinster165]

The old beetle traps worked for me.

[@dannyauthement1604]

Welcome back Bobby. I sure miss your videos

[@victorvek5227]

I can’t believe how many people suggest walking around the property every night at dusk with a soapy bucket.

[@1lakeaccess]

Milky Spore!!! I've had them bad for a few years now, treated my yard last fall and no more beetles. It's supposed to last ten years.

[@davesterchele2679]

Milky spore powder is a one time application that is only harmful to grubs in the soil. The grubs eat it and die. Its multiplies through the grubs which the bacteria feed on so the more grubs you have the faster it'll spread. Once all the grubs are gone, it will stay dormant in the soil for a few years but eventually will die off. If you get another infestation of grubs (years from now) just apply again. I've heard the effective cycle averages 11 years. Apply this year, next year there are fewer and the effect grows until they are all pretty much gone. Then the milky spore gradually dies off until you need to apply it again.

[@karaamundson3964]

@Texas CAT Manuals Milky spore is a spore application, a little like bacillis thuringensis only for grubs vs caterpillars or mosquito larvae. MS comes in a powder form--apply to your lawn or soil & grubs which consume it from the soil will explode from within as spores multiply so rapidly that their numbers outgrow the size of the host. The spores then return to the soil in search of more hosts. After a full cycle (grub hosts, spore devastation, few hosts, spore starvation, grub comeback), you may need to reapply. You can order it online at various places...I've gotten it at Gardens Alive & elsewhere. Definitely worth the outlay.

[@davesterchele2679]

@Texas CAT Manuals It only affects Japanese beetles. It's a bacterial that feeds on it's insides and takes a few years to reach full strength. I applied it years ago and have an abundance of worms in my soil. One caveat is that it works best in areas that have cooler soil for at least 3 months out of the year (60-70 degrees.) If it's not offered in your area, that might be a reason why so I'd check with a soil expert in your area to see if it can be effective for you.

[@candidk2544]

They do a number on my poor roses. Thanks for the tip!

[@EclecticHillbilly]

It's been my experience, like yours, that the hormone traps just bring more beetles. My PaPa used to use your bucket method except he used kerosene instead of water. Once they hit that kerosene, no chance of them flying out of the bucket.

[@savedandsanctified4126]

and a blessing in disguise by cutting the cost of feed for your chickens and ducks

[@harryh3409]

Two months!! Consider yourself lucky! I’m dealing with those little buggers all year round!

[@sandhollowhomestead6972]

So glad so far we don't have those critters. We do have earwigs like Mississippi has red ants! You set something on the ground and in minutes it has piles of earwigs under it. I've got a sprayer and some spray and will start spray them next week. They'll eat and kill my plants as bad as your beetles. Good to see you Bobby. You've taught me a ton of good stuff! Thanks for sharing!

[@scottj719]

After dark they will just sit there, even with a headlamp on full blast and you can do as you describe and tap or flick them off into a container

[@mhpgardener]

Those bag traps should be placed 25-30 feet away from what you're trying to protect. I wanted to see if they would notice it and stop eating. The answer.... they did NOT !

[@slick66]

I would suggest ordering new hormone baits from Amazon. If it's not stinky and smelly then you probably have an old bait on the trap. I've used a couple per trap and they just filled the bag faster and faster. Add a bit of soapy water in the bottom of the bag and clean it out every day. I killed so many with that I had to cut the bottom of the bag out and hung a 5 gallon bucket under the trap with a bit of soapy water in it. They're a serious problem and I had as many as you do until I got serious about killing them every July/August as they emerged.

[@davenagy2996]

I put my traps about 100-200 feet away from my gardens to try to draw them away. Good call on the knock off method at dusk. There's a mixed hedge of apparently tasty leaves that I refer to as "make out point" that I visit at sundown with a bowl of water and castille soap to thin the herd. This fall I'll be trying milky spore. I do everything organic and it's only supposed to affect grubs.

[@pjmtts]

My chickens love eating them

[@troyadams1131]

I put electric fencing around my garden.I let my chickens out during the day inside the fence.They eat alot of them.Also have lots of Bluebird Boxes in the Blueberries and Garden too. The Bluebirds and Chickens do help in controling them some... But they are a problem.Thanks,will try what you are doing also.

[@davesterchele2679]

I used to get Japanese beetles all the time. I worked Milky Spore into the soil a few years ago and now they are almost non-existent. I put traps downwind from my garden and they get the ones flying in from my neighbors yard.

[@mhpgardener]

Milky spore is definitely on my to-do list.

[@Hodado]

I put it down in April but for the last month (July) the beetles are back with a vengeance also put down grub control so far beetles are winning

[@sgtsplice9643]

Milky spore developed back in the 1930s is the way to go!

[@virginiamoss7045]

Add a drop or two of dish soap to cut the surface tension so they'll sink and drown instead of floating like is shown.

[@DovidM]

Vegetable oil or mineral oil will also break the surface tension. Only a small amount needs to be added to the water.

[@virginiamoss7045]

@@DovidM - I had not thought of that, but of course that would work as well. Thanks for the tip.

[@randomjohn]

Going to visit my hazelnut trees tonight... gonna have a pool party

[@wyldeman]

YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your back!!!! Great to see you again!!!

[@ServiceTrek]

agreed. when all is failing, sometimes your two hands are the best tools.

[@Silent.Stacker]

Great tip.

[@KristinaBakerSmith]

Every year these suckers eat all the leaves off of my flowering trees right after they bloom. Its so sad.

[@2ladyhomesteadershodge898]

Yep, tried everything that you mentioned and I STILL HAVE the little buggers. I am definitely trying your tip. I have a bucket, water, and a hand to knock them in the bucket. Thank you! Vivian Ann on the side of the mountain in northeast Tennessee

[@mhpgardener]

Seems like they get worse each year. Probably because we keep planting things that they like to eat. I think I'll try milky spore and see if that helps. It's definitely a battle, and I intend to win !

[@2ladyhomesteadershodge898]

@@mhpgardener I HAVE to win. They are eatting my dinner...and, my peaches. I live on less than what most people pay for their cable tv (and we aren't eligible for assistance)...and, I can eat because i grow my food. You've already helped me so much with your hydroponics and seed starting videoes. You haven't given me bad advice yet. Love the comment you made about anyone can dip a cup of solution a couple times a day, pour it in the hole, and have food from a bucket. God Bless Vivian Ann on the side of the mountain in northeast Tennessee

[@davesterchele2679]

@@2ladyhomesteadershodge898 Mikly Spore works. Applied it in a grid pattern three years ago and now we only see a few on the corners of our lot where the pheremone traps catch them from our neighbors yard. Ironically if you apply milky spore, it'll spread through the entire neighborhood so your neighbors should say "thank you".

[@Shemhadar]

I’m probably spelling it wrong but diatomaceous earth works for me in Michigan. They are terrible here but they do not like the DE and stay away. Not sure if it kills them or they just don’t like. I sprinkle the baby powder type earth over all the leaves and it lasts for weeks.

[@roberthicks4794]

Thanks- a-heap!!

[@iBradWatson]

Good to see you again Bobby. Thinking about doing Dutch buckets next year. Any tweaks or updates on the Dutch bucket setup?

[@ronaldoliver1700]

Welcome back. You have been missed.

[@thomasdewitt5705]

Yep that's what we did in our 2 large vegetable garden.. went down the beans tomatoes potatoes every vegetable plant we didn't use insecticides we picked off all the bad bugs and grubs.. and we had very healthy plants.

[@sissymurphy9620]

I used milky spore on my lawn and around the fruit trees to get rid of grubs .I do not think it works on beetles because I have them .I have 3 acres and the moles were bad because of the grubs .They love grubs .Milky spore keeps producing spores to get rid of grubs .I had my house built back in 2004 and moles were terrible but since treating the property back in 2006 I have not seen mole mounds or tunnels .I would have thought after the land was cleared they would go away but no .The land was full of scrub pine before I had my modular home put up .I had dirt and a house and moles .Now I have fruit trees and a house

[@karaamundson3964]

Excellent. A little soap doesn't hurt to keep'm in and done. I'm using this FOR SURE. Milky spore is great for lots of devilish grubs

[@GermanMic]

That’s the only thing that does work, been at it all month and I actually noticed their numbers drop! Hope others join in the good ol hands on approach! No more pestipoisons please!

[@GrowYourHomesteadWithAngie]

Oh my goodness. I have a YT channel and IG and just did a Reel today about killing these with soapy water. They are killing my grapes so bad right now. I need to run out and check the fruit trees. 😳 I need to do it in the evening. Thanks for the advice!!! I’ll try it at night

[@hazel555]

I add a couple drops of dish soap too.

[@congamike1]

Thanks!

[@MrLassylady]

I bought Japanese and oriental beetle traps, reusable. Made by Rescue. It is easy to set up. They have a Velcro closing on bottom and Every day I would empty them into a 5 gal. bucket with hot water and Dawn in it. I had thousands why because like you sad the beetles in the woods across street was full of them. And it has a powerful smell. I just have a 10 ft long grape arbor. First year for grapes. I learned quickly how to help get rid of them hoping next year will be better. I’m going to have lawn service spray for grub control. But around grapevine I’ll try something else.

[@fozziebear7139]

For my rose bushes, I go out and spray the beetles with Raid. Doesn't hurt the roses.

[@Daniel-nf8pp]

I use white vinegar in stead of water. It leaves no smell.

[@justjayjustjay5054]

Have a question regarding your nutrients and resevoir for your hydroponics. Started watching your videos a couple years ago.... finally putting a 20ftx 30ft greenhouse up this weekend. The only thing i may have missed but am not sure of, is how often do you add nutrients to your resevoir and when do you know its time to add them? Appreciate any info. Just started coming back to your videos. Looks like you did as well. Thanks for the inspiration!!

[@Burbzbabe]

This guy is a hoot! 👍🏼

[@beachfiredude]

Thank you

[@joelegrand5903]

I got roses & grape vines with no Japanese beetles, because I put out milky spores 8 years ago. So I do not know what you should do but it was the best $40.00 I ever spent. That saying something, because I retired at 59 year old, with full salary.

[@gregsullivan8956]

I dont want to go like that lol. Full belly and satisfied is ooook though

[@maryrahal226]

Please try this product, Surround WP by Nova Source. I live near the Shenandoah national park. I had Japanese beetle bad. I dealt with them for 6 yrs before I found this product. I used milky spore, nematodes, and btraps. It worked okay. I needed a repellant. This product is the answer, the beetles will not even land on the leaves. I say it works almost 100%. There is work involved. You mix the product then spray it on in three applications or four. Then if you have new growth you that has to be sprayed. It turns your trees, grapes, squashes, cucumbers white but I don’t care, it leaves them bug free. So far my experience has been positive with it repelling Japanese beetles, grasshoppers, cucumber beetles, all squash bugs and moths,. It also helps against fungus and black spot on my roses. I spray on my crape myrtles, result, no beetles. The product is a miracle and it is natural. It repel all kinds of bugs and moths that damage fruit trees. Go to their website and research. Like I said it’s a miracle product

[@littleredhenl.7868]

I finally covered my grapes with netting.... the june bugs were so busy this year and so was I with my little ice cream bucket with water in the bottom.

[@miriamjewett5438]

They love hibiscus, too

[@bonnietaylor7827]

That's their favorite at my house.

[@Rammshtyn]

My grandmother was hardcore. She brushed them into a big coffee can full of kerosene when they tried to destroy her rose garden.

[@Rammshtyn]

They never learn how to swim.

[@johnlord8337]

Pick a special bush and spray it with soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, hoisin sauce ... or stinky tofu ... and they will come running for a chow down.

[@lbarnhill5493]

The Japanese beetle is a gift to all the preppers and self reliance crowed. Courtesy of the Department of Interior.

[@LiveAboard]

Welcome Back Bobby! What do you do with the beetles after you have drowned them in the bucket?

[@grassroot011]

I always used Sevin, good results as long as it doesn't rain, ha.. Thanks

[@johnfrancis166]

I feel your pain. I have tried everything to get rid of these critters. I am resolved that I have a fight on my hands for the next six weeks. There is no easy solution .

[@raist888]

put some dish det. in there and it kills them faster

[@mhpgardener]

Good idea.

[@angrypossum2152]

We had the same problem last year and tried all of the things you mentioned. Honestly picking them works but I found it very helpful to bribe the local birds to take care of the problem. Basically we put up a few bird feeders in the most problematic areas. I cannot say for sure that the birds eat them but they do kill them including the larve in the grass. The sparrows seem to be particularly enthusiastic about it. I know you do not necessarily want to attract the local bird population to your garden but if you keep food in the feeders they do not mess with the garden much and we decided we preferred the birds to the damn beetles any day. So we tried this last year and this year we have saw very few of the beetles.

[@Xyxox]

Milky spore and nematodes on everything. Hang the bags as far away from everything you've got on the edge of your property.

[@intheshell35ify]

Chickens. They get the low ones and I shake off the high ones for em. I have to fight them for the berries, but I ain't got near as many beetles.