need help with Japanese beetles....
 

Has anyone had luck eradicating Japanese beetles from their veg gardens?

I just started to see some destruction on my basil plants and I pulled them out of the pots and garden and took the beetles out. A garden website said that was the best way to deal with them. One site said to actually put the beetles in a bowl of soapy water and leave it in the garden....the scent of dead beetles deters new ones?! Haven't tried it but will give it a go.

I don't use any pesticides in my garden.
Would love to know what other gardeners do. :)
Thanks, D.

Hi Diandra,

This site:

http://www.bhg.com/gardening/pests/i...s-weeds/grubs/

Advocates beneficial nematodes if you have the grubs as well. Don't know about leaving the dead bodies, soapy water kills the beetles but commercially available traps are self defeating as the beetles release pheromones which attract others.

Dave.

wow Dave....sorry it took me so long to see this. I had actually forgotten about grubs. will look into the beneficial nematodes. it is weird, this yr the beetles are only going after my basil plants....don't know why. the soapy water is attracting alot of bugs but not many Japanese beetles so perhaps this was just an old wives tale.
d.