What you may ask - Japanese Beetles! They have become my official enemy and it's survival of the fittest. I've looked into other methods - yes even spraying believe it or not. And those bags that claim to catch them - I've heard nothing but horror stories about those. Attracting more to your yard than you had before and definately not trapping them all.
So, how am I doing it you may ask? Below is a link that explains what I'm doing. Yes, our children run out and help identify them. Jon is a great catcher of japanese beetles. This may be solely his job in a couple years. lol!
The below article can be found in it's entirety at the below link.
http://www.squidoo.com/Japanesebeetles
Easy Steps to Capturing and Controling the Japanese Beetles
1. You will need a small bucket, some dish soap, and a small butterfly net.
2. Add a squirt of any dish soap into a plastic bucket. Fill the bucket with about 2 inches of water. Slosh the water around to create some suds.
3. The hunt begins!
I like to use a small butterfly net. Place the net under the infested leaf and gentle tap the leaf. The Beetles will roll right off into your net.
4. Tip the net over the bucket and the beetles will fall in. They may cling to the net. Just brush them off into the bucket. They don't bite.
5. The soapy water will kill the beetles.
Remember after a few days to dump the bucket out or the smell gets pretty ripe. Rinse your bucket out and you are ready to start again.
6. Now I take my plastic bucket and net with me every time I go into your garden. It's part of my gardening routine.
My kids love sneaking around the garden ready to capture the Japanese Beetles. Jon is especially good at catching bugs - his sister praises him for it. lol.
***Update***
I have caught at least 35 more in the past two days and I'm sure I'll have many more to catch tonight!
So, how am I doing it you may ask? Below is a link that explains what I'm doing. Yes, our children run out and help identify them. Jon is a great catcher of japanese beetles. This may be solely his job in a couple years. lol!
The below article can be found in it's entirety at the below link.
http://www.squidoo.com/Japanesebeetles
Easy Steps to Capturing and Controling the Japanese Beetles
1. You will need a small bucket, some dish soap, and a small butterfly net.
2. Add a squirt of any dish soap into a plastic bucket. Fill the bucket with about 2 inches of water. Slosh the water around to create some suds.
3. The hunt begins!
I like to use a small butterfly net. Place the net under the infested leaf and gentle tap the leaf. The Beetles will roll right off into your net.
4. Tip the net over the bucket and the beetles will fall in. They may cling to the net. Just brush them off into the bucket. They don't bite.
5. The soapy water will kill the beetles.
Remember after a few days to dump the bucket out or the smell gets pretty ripe. Rinse your bucket out and you are ready to start again.
6. Now I take my plastic bucket and net with me every time I go into your garden. It's part of my gardening routine.
My kids love sneaking around the garden ready to capture the Japanese Beetles. Jon is especially good at catching bugs - his sister praises him for it. lol.
***Update***
I have caught at least 35 more in the past two days and I'm sure I'll have many more to catch tonight!
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