How to Make Japanese Beetle Traps

Japanese beetles can do a devastating amount of damage to the leaves of fruit trees, bushes, vegetables, and a number of other outdoor trees, flowers, and plants. They feast on the tender parts of foliage, and they leave behind a path of destruction. Hundreds of Japanese beetles can attack a single bush, tree, or plant, and after days of feasting, reduce it to skeletal remains.

A minor problem with Japanese beetles can be controlled through handpicking, but a major infestation requires the use of pesticides or traps. Japanese beetle traps are an environmentally friendly alternative to pesticides, and when properly placed, they work very well to control them.

You don't have to purchase Japanese beetle traps since they're really very easy to make. Once you make Japanese beetle traps, you'll never go back to buying expensive store-bought traps and refills. The traps you can make are every bit as effective as commercial varieties, and the containers used to make them can be emptied, refilled, and reused again and again.

Necessary Supplies

To make a Japanese beetle trap you'll need a gallon-size plastic jug, 1 quart of water, ½ cup of sugar, 1 cup of mashed ripe fruit, 1 teaspoon of active dry yeast, a utility knife, a long-handled strainer or large slotted spoon, and a piece of rope or twine for hanging.

Procedure

Begin by rinsing out the plastic jug, and carefully cut a large opening in the top, but leave the handle intact. Next, combine the water, sugar, and mashed fruit and yeast, and mix them together thoroughly. Hang the trap from the limb of a tree about three feet off the ground, or hang it from a hook intended for a hanging flower basket. Before long you'll notice Japanese beetles floating in the liquid, but they won't be able to escape and will eventually drown.