Japanese Beetle - Fighting with Mechanical Traps

A Homeowner's Handbook - Recognizing Life Stages - Homeowner Controls for Japanese Beetle - Surveying Your Property - Communication as a Tool for Control - Mechanical Traps - Biological Control - Chemical Control Methods

Millions of beetles are captured annually in mechanical traps. This method is an easy and inexpensive way to reduce beetle populations and curtail egg laying. Under favorable conditions, a trap will capture only about 75 percent of the beetles that approach it. Because the traps actually attract more beetles than they capture, be sure not to put traps near your garden or your favorite plants. Put traps at the borders of your property, away from plants the beetles may damage. Traps are most effective when many of them are spread over an entire community.

Homeowners who choose to give the mechanical traps and lures a try as part of their IPM program can typically find them at yard and garden centers.

Traps should not stay in place year round because the lures inside get stale. Trap placement should be timed to coincide with the emergence of adult Japanese beetles in your area. Adults generally emerge between early June and late August. Check with your extension agent for information of the Japanese beetle flight period in your area.

A Homeowner's Handbook - Recognizing Life Stages - Homeowner Controls for Japanese Beetle - Surveying Your Property - Communication as a Tool for Control - Mechanical Traps - Biological Control - Chemical Control Methods

Courtesy of the USDA.