How can I get rid of Japanese Beetles out of my potted Basil plants?
Question:Just noticed them this morning, totally destroying my basil. I'd like to eat this basil, so I'd rather not use poison. The plants are in a large container off the ground and I have never had a problem with Japanese beetles before. Any advice on how to get rid of them and hopefully save my poor basil??
Answers:
Hand picking is the easiest and most effective.
Get a wide mouthed jar with water in it and add a drop of oil to the surface. Put the jar under the leaves that have beetles and touch the leaf so that they let go and tumble off (thinking they will be safe). They land in the water and can't get out and can't breath under the oil slick on that water.
With a little practice you can clear them in a couple of minutes. It needs no poison spray and leaves no residue.
If there are lots of basil pots and lots of beetles ask about the milky spore bacterial grub killer that you sprinkle on the grass. It only harms those beetles. In the long run that gets them all.
Spray w/ seven dust
Bag A Bug works pretty good. It's a bag on a stick you put out in your lawn near where the bbeetles hang out. It comes with this stinky stuff they love so they are attracted to it and fall into the bag and cant get out. Every year they flock to my yard and this system gets rid of most of them pretty quickly.
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