Japanese Beetles eradication method

[middle TN Nancy]

I was attempting to reply to an existing thread about Japaneses beetles, but I had to register onto the site first and couldn't find my way back. So here's a new thread.
I'm new to chickens - actually just now building my first coop - and will get my birds when all is finished. I've learned SO MUCH from obsessively reading the threads on these forums. Thanks so much everyone. HOWEVER - I've been organic gardening for years! I have dealt with Japanese beetles many times.
I especially had problems with them on my grapevines, and since insecticidal soap was ineffective and I am unwilling to use pesticides which kill beneficial insects too, plus the grapevines are a food crop and I certainly don't want pesticide residue on our food, this is what I learned to do. Get up VERY early like 5:00 A.M. and fill up a bucket with hot soapy water (dishwashing soap such as Dawn or something). Spread an old sheet or tarp under the infested plant. Shake the branches of the plant so that the beetles fall onto the cloth - because it is so early and damp and relatively cool, the beetles will not fly off but will just fall straight down. Pull the sides of the cloth up high to form a big V and pour them into the soapy water. They will all drown (YAY!). Now go inside and have coffee which should be ready by now.
You may need to do this several times, but it really does work and it only takes like 10 minutes. I've read that if you squash them, it sends out a signal (chemical?) to other beetles in the area and attracts even more. But drowning is silent and effective.

 

[Spartan22]

I do the same thing since we have lots of herbs and veggies that we consume and also get fed to the chickens. Trapping with beetle bags w/ lure might only be your alternative but there’s caveat, you’ll attract the neighborhood Jap beetles so I never used them. Watching if others have better ideas.

 

[Trish1974]

OR... fold them up in the cloth and feed them to the chickens!

 

[Talithahorse]

I have had some luck using the lures to lure them right into my chicken pen where my girls enjoy the extra snack. I will also go out and shake the trees but then I put them in a bucket of plain water and bring them to my girls. Its like cereal in milk. They gobble them up pretty quickly and its free feed for me.

 

[shessowitte]

I was attempting to reply to an existing thread about Japaneses beetles, but I had to register onto the site first and couldn't find my way back. So here's a new thread.
I'm new to chickens - actually just now building my first coop - and will get my birds when all is finished. I've learned SO MUCH from obsessively reading the threads on these forums. Thanks so much everyone. HOWEVER - I've been organic gardening for years! I have dealt with Japanese beetles many times.
I especially had problems with them on my grapevines, and since insecticidal soap was ineffective and I am unwilling to use pesticides which kill beneficial insects too, plus the grapevines are a food crop and I certainly don't want pesticide residue on our food, this is what I learned to do. Get up VERY early like 5:00 A.M. and fill up a bucket with hot soapy water (dishwashing soap such as Dawn or something). Spread an old sheet or tarp under the infested plant. Shake the branches of the plant so that the beetles fall onto the cloth - because it is so early and damp and relatively cool, the beetles will not fly off but will just fall straight down. Pull the sides of the cloth up high to form a big V and pour them into the soapy water. They will all drown (YAY!). Now go inside and have coffee which should be ready by now.
You may need to do this several times, but it really does work and it only takes like 10 minutes. I've read that if you squash them, it sends out a signal (chemical?) to other beetles in the area and attracts even more. But drowning is silent and effective.

I am soooo doing this in the morning!!

 

[centrarchid]

Approaches I am using are not effective for eradication, but they do in way make lemonade out of lemons. Numbers here may be a lot higher than in other parts of the country.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-to-pens-of-chickens.1256756/#post-20164846

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/making-feed-from-japanese-beetles.1223688/

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I do the same thing since we have lots of herbs and veggies that we consume... Trapping with beetle bags w/ lure might only be your alternative but there’s caveat...

The CAVEAT is that the lure for Japanese beetles is their sex pheromone. If you really and truly want to see how quick and completely a herd of Japanese beetles can eat a grape vine down to a nub, then by all means employ the beetle's very own sex pheromone. But you better quickly jump back out of the way of the onrush of horny Japanese beetles. I honestly think that they may even try to eat your wood picnic table or chicken coop.

 

[Spartan22]

The CAVEAT is that the lure for Japanese beetles is their sex pheromone. If you really and truly want to see how quick and completely a herd of Japanese beetles can eat a grape vine down to a nub, then by all means employ the beetle's very own sex pheromone. But you better quickly jump back out of the way of the onrush of horny Japanese beetles. I honestly think that they may even try to eat your wood picnic table or chicken coop.