How to Get Rid of Asian Beetles in Your Garden: 6 Methods That Work

Asian beetles are a common nuisance in the garden because they can get into your home during cold spells. They aren’t typically harmful, but they can secrete a sticky yellowish substance onto your walls. With severe infestations, this can really mess up your home’s paint.

Let’s check out how you can get rid of these pests in your garden before they make it into your home.

What Are Asian Beetles?

Also called Asian ladybeetles or Japanese ladybugs, these ladybug lookalikes aren’t ladybugs at all. They range in colors, but a dull red or orange is common. They can have no spots, or as many as 20.

In many cases, Asian beetles aren’t even harmful in your garden. Instead, the real danger lies in them getting into your home. Outside, they can be beneficial because their preferred diet is aphids and other pests. So, how do we get rid of them?

The 6 Methods to Remove Asian Beetles in Your Garden

1. White Vinegar Spray

Fill a spray bottle with water and add a tablespoon of white vinegar, then bring it outside. This spray will kill Asian beetles and other common pests on contact, but it isn’t the most effective solution. However, it can work very well in a pinch or for small infestations of Asian beetles.

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2. Use a Vacuum

If you have a shop vac or an extension cord, bring your vacuum outside and use it to vacuum up any Asian beetles in your garden. If possible, you can try to use a broom to gather the beetles in one area so it’s easier to suck them up.

If you’re fretting about the bugs clogging up your vacuum, don’t worry. Just ball up some pantyhose and secure it to the end of your vacuum’s wand with a rubber band.

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3. Seal Your Home

Even if you can’t completely rid yourself of Asian beetles outdoors, you can prevent them from coming into your home when it gets cold outside.

For the best results, do this before it starts getting cool in the fall. Use caulking to seal any cracks in your foundation or walls outdoors, then check inside for any minute cracks or gaps the beetles could use to enter your house. Some sources say that merely blocking gaps with copper wool can also repel Asian beetles and other pests.

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4. Use Insect Light Traps

Also called moth traps, light traps are very effective for controlling the Asian beetle population and other nuisance pests, like moths. Simply set them up anywhere you have overhead protection from rain and let them do their thing. You’ll likely wake up to tons of insect carcasses nearby, so have a broom handy to dispose of them.

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5. Use Essential Oils

Like other bugs, Asian beetles have a strong distaste for certain scents. Some of the most notable ones are clove, camphor, and citrus. You can try spreading some whole cloves around your garden to repel Asian beetles, or you can spray a camphor or citrus oil in the area. The strong odor prevents the bugs from locating their home, and they should wander away to search for it.

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6. Use a Pyrethroid Pesticide

Although technically not safe for your plants, heavy Asian beetle infestations can call for the big guns: pyrethroid pesticide sprays. As a last resort, judiciously using this type of spray will completely rid you of Asian beetles and other insect pests. Beware, though, that it may also kill beneficial wildlife. Use this option at your own discretion.

Conclusion

Asian beetles are fairly harmless outside, but you’re more likely to have them infest your home when temperatures drop in the fall. To prevent that, use some of the methods above to rid your garden of these ladybug doppelgangers.

See also:

• How To Get Rid of Bugs from Your Yard & Garden
• How to Get Rid of Flies Outside
• 4 DIY Japanese Beetle Trap Plans You Can Make Today (With Pictures)

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Featured Image Credit: kie-ker, Pixabay