Use a Toy to Get Rid of Japanese Beetles

Spider? Ugh. If it invades my space, I’ll gladly stomp on it. But in its own environment, it’s safe from my wrath. I’ve been stung by more than a few bees and wasps in my day and have lived to tell the tale. They have a place in this world and I’m fine with letting them buzz about my yard. We’ve found chemical-free ways maintain the yard when we don’t want to pull weeds one at a time. My garden is something I value and if you have started a backyard garden then you know it’s a source of pride as well as nourishment.

But there’s one thing that I’ve long abhorred and that’s the Japanese beetle. They have no positive purpose in our neck of the woods and do nothing but destroy the trees and plants. They attack our trees, my herbs and my garden, turning leaves to Swiss cheese. When the girls were little, we made a game out of cleansing the yard of these destructive insects and all these years later, I’m still employing those same tactics. Did you know you can kill Japanese beetles without using any kind of trap or poison and you might already have the tools right in your home?

Curious what you need?
1) An empty jar or can. Old food containers destined for the recycle bin are an excellent option. Clean them out and give them a purpose.
2) Dish soap
3) Bug catcher toys
4) Optional: Child

Make sure the container is large enough to insert the bug catcher toy and has a lid. Add a squirt of dish soap then fill with warm water. That’s the extent of your prep work. Now comes the tedious part…

Using a bug catcher toy typically found in a child’s bug exploration kit, simply capture the bugs one or two at a time. This is a great activity for keeping little kids busy. Remember, that’s how I discovered it as a solution in the first place.

So after you catch them, what do you do? Turn them into pets? If you feel so inclined then sure. Not me though. I give them a nice, soapy bath in the aforementioned canister. Each time I go outside, I catch anywhere from 2-10, sometimes more if I feel like pulling at low-hanging branches to be able to reach further up. Yes, it’s a slow process, but if you are consistent with doing this when you check on your garden or take the dog outside, then it works. It’s a deterrent and that’s not a bad thing. Look at it like pulling weeds. You have to do it over and over again, one at a time, but it serves the purpose without needing to introduce chemicals to your yard.

Whether you do it yourself or enlist the help of your kids, it’s an effective, chemical-free way to get rid of Japanese beetles.

What plants in your yard do Japanese beetles attack?

Tags: DIY, Gardening

22 thoughts on “Use a Toy to Get Rid of Japanese Beetles”

I don’t mean to sound ignorant, but I don’t even know if we have any Japanese Beetles.
We don’t have a garden and my husband does most of our yard work now. I wouldn’t like to keep one as a pet! Maybe when I was a kid?? I didn’t think a Pringles can could hold anything liquid, because it is cardboard. Good to know. Thank you for sharing this information!

This is a great idea! Those buggers will WRECK your garden. I actually think there’s an old bug catcher buried somewhere in my kid’s room!

It’s amazing what you can do to catch Japanese beetles with simple around-the-house items! I know some people spend an arm and a leg on sprays, only they don’t get them all.

What did doesn’t LOVE collecting bugs? Such a great idea to get the kids involved.

Now that’s CLEVER! I love that you used a toy and then a Pringles can! So smart!

I love how you listed the child as optional~ haha! What a clever solution!

Wow!! We actually do have a beetle issue and a kid’s bug catcher!! I am going to put my son to work!!

That’s actually a really good idea. We use to have those too. I’m not sure what happened to them, but I’ll need to get another pair.

This is a great hack! We haven’t had to deal with Japanese Beetles but I’ve heard horror stories!

Such an awesome idea!! My kids will surely love to try this!

A tool just for grabbing the bugs! I don’t have a garden that I have to worry about them eating though.

This is such a smart idea! I’m sure I have one of those contraptions somewhere in a toy box around here.

I haven’t seen any Japanese beetles here yet. We just moved in 2 weeks ago. But if I do see them I will definitely be using this method to take care of them.

Oh I don’t think I’ve seen any yet but now I’ll be on the look out. I didn’t realize the damage they can cause. Awesome tips!

I have never had to deal with anything like these but have had bugs tear plants apart. These are some great tips!

Good article on getting rid of Japanese Beatles, we do not have them here but if they do intrude I will know what to do.

Great way to take care of the Japanese Beatles using a child`s toy & soapy water…no pesticides !! We have flowers in our front yard & fruit & vegetables in our back yard…we do not use any pesticides. Using pesticides kills bee`s & other insects that are needed for pollination of our plants.