Japanese Beetle Traps

Did you know that there are approximately 350,000 species of beetles found across the world. Magnificent, isn't it? Out of all these different types of beetles, we are concentrating on one particular insect called the Japanese beetle. These small, colorful insects can be a hassle for many people in the U.S. and across the world as they tend to destroy plants. Their tactic is by skeletonizing the leaves of plants like rose bushes, grapes, hydrangea, basil, crape myrtles, canna (herb), iris, hops, and many others. As you guess by the name, these beetles are native to Japan; however they don't pose as severe a threat over there (starlings, skunks, moles, birds, and chicken normally eat them). And as they are capable of destroying over 400 species of plants, it is highly essential to control their population in certain areas. Keeping that in mind, if you are facing issues due to these pesky insects, perhaps this article will come in handy.

Homemade Traps to Catch Japanese Beetles

Now with commercial traps, the reason they are popular is because they all contain 2 types of chemical attractants. The first one is a sex pheromone and the other is a floral lure. As these beetles are always feeding and mating in groups, both these attractants aid in luring them to the traps. However, there's a drawback to the commercial traps. Because of the 2 chemicals, they attract way more beetles than the trap can hold, according to a research done by the University of Kentucky.

If you planned on trapping Japanese beetles around your home, you will end up attracting almost all of them from the neighborhood; bad, bad idea. The traps won't be able to hold such a huge amount. So instead of controlling Japanese beetles around your home, you will be giving them free invitation to feast over your landscape. In order to avoid this debacle, why not follow the directions on our homemade Japanese beetle trap given below.

Ingredients

• One, 1 gallon-sized plastic jug
• 1 quart water
• 1 teaspoon active yeast, dry
• 1 cup ripe banana, mashed
• ½ cup sugar
• Piece of rope
• Utility knife
• Large slotted spoon or strainer

Directions

Before we start making the trap, gather all the material before we begin making the trap. First of all, rinse out the jug properly and with the utility knife, cut an opening on top (make sure it's a large opening). Don't cut the handle while making this big hole. Also, pierce 2 holes on top of the jug so that the rope can be inserted from. In a different bucket, mix in water, sugar, dry yeast, and mashed banana. Combine everything properly and pour it into the clean plastic jug.

Select a place where you want to hang the trap. Insert the rope through the holes in the jug and hang it over a branch of a tree. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that the trap should be at least 3 feet above the ground. Or if you like, you can also use a hook (mostly used for hanging flower baskets in gardens) and hang the trap. And that's it, your trap is ready to attract Japanese beetles.

These were the steps on how to make Japanese beetle traps. Besides the trap, you can also use a homemade Japanese beetle spray that is safe for your plants, but effective enough to get rid of the insects. As we have an article about how to make the spray, just click on the link and follow the steps accurately.