Beetles are part of the natural environment, but when they start destroying your flowers or vegetable garden, it gets tough to live peacefully alongside them.
Fortunately, it is possible to control their populations and protect your plants.
Here at Pest Dude, we’ve been helping homeowners learn to do their own pest control for more than twenty years.
We’ve compiled our top beetle-control tip into this comprehensive post.
Key Takeaways
- To get rid of beetles in your garden, identify which species are present based on their appearance, habitat, behavior, and the damage they’re causing.
- Once you’ve identified the type of beetles present, take short- and long-term actions to limit damage and control populations.
- If you’re having trouble managing beetles on your own, contact a professional pest management company for more help.
Which Beetles are Most Likely to Invade Gardens?
| Beetle Type | Appearance | Habits & Behavior | Damage Caused |
| Japanese Beetles | Metallic green with copper-brown wings | Active in warm weather, often found in clusters | Skeletonized leaves – primarily on plants |
| Blister Beetles | Soft-bodied, range from black to metallic colors | Secrete a toxic substance when threatened | Consume foliage, flowers, and vegetables |
| Red Beetles | Bright red oval body | Prefer lilies and other bulb plants | Defoliation of flowers and leaves |
| Asian Lady Beetles | Similar to ladybugs, but oval and can vary in color | Often invade homes in the fall and winter | Minimal garden damage but can harm certain crops in fields |
| European Chafers | Light brown with long legs and oval bodies | Active at night, often in early summer | During the grub stage, they damages grass roots |
| June Beetles | Brown and robust with hard wing covers | Nocturnal, attracted to lights | Larvae damage lawns and gardens |
| Oriental Beetles | Mottled brown and black | Emerge in early summer, prevalent in turf | Grubs feed on the roots of grass |
| Masked Chafers | Light tan with a distinct dark head | Active during the evening and night | Grubs can cause significant lawn damage |
Short-Term Solutions to Get Rid of Adult Beetles in Your Garden
1. Hand-Pick or Water-Blast the Beetles
For small infestations, you can manually remove beetles from plants to reduce damage.
Once you’ve removed them, drop them into a tub of soapy water to kill them.
If the infestation is slightly larger, use a high-pressure hose to blast the beetles off the leaves.
Of course, you should only use this solution on trees, shrubs, and other plants that are sturdy enough to withstand the water pressure.
2. Use Natural Insecticides
Regularly use eco-friendly insecticides (like Nature-Cide) on your plants.
If you’re dealing with a large infested area, put these solutions in a backpack sprayer to cover as much ground as possible.
For sudden, severe infestations, try using a high-pressure spray solution of water mixed with a little Nature-Cide.
Remember that it’s crucial to only treat produce you intend to eat with organic products.
That said, avoid using horticultural oil, neem oil, or any other oil-based products during the summer, as they can cause the leaves to burn if applied too heavily.
Long-Term Strategies for Preventing Beetle Infestations
1. Treat the Grubs in the Soil
If you REALLY want to control beetles, you’ve got to target them during the grub stage.
The grub stage takes place in the soil before the beetles have a chance to grow into plant-hungry adults.
This stage attracts skunks, raccoons, and moles who love to eat grubs and can lead to extensive root damage in your lawn and vegetable garden.
It’s important to target beetles during the grub stage because, when they become adults, they’ll be busy destroying plant leaves.
Controlling adult beetles is difficult because you either have to spray the plant or trap the bugs.
Unfortunately, neither option is super effective.
With all of this in mind, there are two ways to target beetle grubs:
You can use granular insecticide or introduce beneficial microbes and organisms, like nematodes.
If you decide to use insecticide, choose a granular lawn product that’s labeled for beetles and grubs.
Make sure to water it well so the treatment goes deep into the soil where the grubs live.
If you decide to use beneficial organisms, on the other hand, you’ll need to buy nematodes or milky spores to naturally reduce grub populations.
Not sure how to do this?
Check out our guide.
Remember—beetles can be tough to get rid of, so we strongly recommend developing a multi-year control plan that focuses on targeting grubs over several seasons.
2. Modify Your Garden Plant Selection and Use Barriers
Select plants that are less prone to beetle attacks.
Adding these plants to your garden can help lower the chances of infestations and may even protect nearby plants from getting chomped on.
If you love your at-risk plants too much to get rid of them, consider covering them with netting (like this) during peak beetle season, which is usually springtime.
3. Use Systemic Insecticides on Trees and Shrubs
In the fall, apply systemic insecticides (like this one) to the soil around established trees and shrubs to protect them for the following summer.
Once applied, the plants will take the product up into their leaves and bark, which protects them from beetle predation.
While this treatment is effective, it usually takes a full season to really work, so we recommend doing it in the fall to make it as effective as possible the following year
Control Tips and Safety Precautions
- Understand the Limitations of Sprays and Traps: While insecticide sprays and traps can be a good way to manage beetle populations, they are not Sprays need to be reapplied frequently and may not reach beetles hidden in foliage or soil. Traps, on the other hand, use pheromones to lure beetles in and may actually attract more beetles to your garden without killing them all.
- Recognize that Beetles are Native Species: Beetles are a natural part of the ecosystem. They help gardens stay balanced and healthy by feeding on pests and cleaning up decomposing organic matter. With this in mind, aim for balanced populations rather than complete eradication.
- Prepare for Continuous Management: Beetle control requires the development and implementation of a year-round strategy that targets beetles at all life phases – especially the grub stage.
- Read ALL Labels and Safety Precautions: Always read and follow all safety instructions on pesticide labels – even products that are labeled “natural” or “eco-friendly.” This ensures effective application and keeps you, your pets, and the environment safe.
- Consult Professionals: If you’re not sure what kind of beetles you’re dealing with or how to get rid of them effectively, consider consulting a professional pest control company for more help.
Methods That Don’t Work
Broad-Spectrum Insecticides
These might look like an easy solution for getting rid of Japanese beetles, but there are some serious downsides.
First of all, these insecticides don’t just target the bad bugs; they can also harm beneficial species like bees and earthworms.
Plus, they introduce toxic chemicals into your family’s environment and, if you’re growing food to eat, onto your dinner table.
It’s also important to remember that beetles have wings.
This means that the ones that will show up tomorrow won’t be affected by today’s spray treatment.
Beetle Traps
At first, beetle traps that use pheromones to attract Japanese beetles might look like a good solution.
But here’s the catch: they can actually do more harm than good!
These traps often draw in more beetles than they catch, which could lead to even more beetles in your garden.
While they might work in specific spots, they’re not a great option for gardens with other plants around, as they can stir up extra beetle activity.
Spraying Plants with Insecticide Over and Over
It might be tempting to keep spraying your plants to keep Japanese beetles away, but this method isn’t as effective as it sounds.
Insecticides can wear off quickly, which means pesky beetles will come back soon after you spray.
Plus, using insecticides too often can actually create beetles that are resistant to these chemicals.
Don’t Let Beetles Destroy Your Garden! We’re Here to Help
Beetles got you down?
If your DIY methods haven’t worked or you simply need faster results than you’re getting, it may be time to contact a professional pest management company.
Here at Pest Dude, we work with a nationwide network of skilled, reliable pest control professionals.
If you would like to connect with one of the pros in The Pest Dude network, give us a call at (844) 532-0076.
We’ll put you in touch with an expert in your area who can help you get rid of beetles for good!
Beetles Control FAQs
Japanese beetles love certain scents that plants give off, so they’re common in gardens with plants like roses, grapes, and hibiscus.
If your garden is sunny and lush, it creates a perfect home for these beetles.
Plus, if nearby gardens or lawns have grubs—young Japanese beetles—they can boost the beetle population in your area.
Japanese beetles aren’t a threat to humans or pets, but they can really hurt plants.
These little guys munch on the leaves, flowers, and fruit of more than 300 plant species, causing quite a bit of damage.
The adults chew the leaves until only the veins are left, which weakens the plants and makes them more vulnerable to diseases.
Japanese beetles usually don’t hang out in mulch, but their larvae can be found in the soil beneath it.
These grubs munch on grassroots and organic matter, and a thick layer of mulch can create a nice, moist environment for them to grow.
That said, the adult beetles prefer to live and snack on plants above ground instead of in the mulch.
