Japanese beetles have descended on my poor rose bushes and I don't know what type of insecticide to use. I don't want to harm the rose bushes in the process of saving them.
Each bush has at least 80 beetles I would estimate. I have confirmed the species with a friend (a biologist). I hate these beetles, voracious horrible and invasive.

What do you guys use to kill these beetles?

One simple thing to do is to take a jar or bowl of soapy water out and flick them into the soapy water. Removing them this way is better than using chemicals.

plantmanager said:One simple thing to do is to take a jar or bowl of soapy water out and flick them into the soapy water. Removing them this way is better than using chemicals.

I would do that, but it would take me all day and I wouldn't get all of them. The bushes are coated with them. And it seems like more show up every day

How many plants are you dealing with?

Tisha said:How many plants are you dealing with?

I've got 3 largish rose bushes and two non rose bushes. 5 total have beetles, the roses are suffering the most and the leaves are vanishing hour by hour. And my peach tree is also suffering from the beetles

I use Sevin, it works, I only spray the plants that actively have lots of beetles. Don't spray the others because bees may visit those and you are only after the beetles.

Frillylily said:I use Sevin, it works, I only spray the plants that actively have lots of beetles. Don't spray the others because bees may visit those and you are only after the beetles.

Is that available at Home Depot? Menards?

either place, it's super common. Walmart ect. Some of it is concentrate, as always be sure to mix and spray according to directions-in other words not too strong. I find that if I mix it on the weak side, it does fine. They are sensitive to it. I just spray about 2x a wk unless it rains. A fine mist over the entire bush works. You don't spray the ground or anything like that, just the leaves.

For short-term control, you might try a cedar oil spray:
https://www.finegardening.com/...

For more long-term grub control, research beneficial nematodes and/or milky spore disease:
https://www.arbico-organics.co...

I give the above link without knowing much about this particular supplier, so it's just some info to get you started, and not a product recommendation.

Meanwhile, a ruler to knock the bugs into a bucket of soapy water WILL reduce numbers, which is important because Japanese Beetles use pheromones to signal to their friends and relatives to come join the feast; the fewer beetles there are signalling, the fewer newcomers will get the message.

Good luck with the invasive nasties,
Virginia

Frillylily said:either place, it's super common. Walmart ect. Some of it is concentrate, as always be sure to mix and spray according to directions-in other words not too strong. I find that if I mix it on the weak side, it does fine. They are sensitive to it. I just spray about 2x a wk unless it rains. A fine mist over the entire bush works. You don't spray the ground or anything like that, just the leaves.

I found Seven, I'm going to wait until tonight around 10 pm and then go about spraying. It's so hot in MO and the bottle says leaf burn can occur if temps are over 84 degrees.
I'm crossing my fingers!
I spoke with several people and apparently the beetles are so bad that people are losing their roses, vegetables, honeysuckle, etc. ugh.

well well well you solved one of MY mysteries... I didn't know that about the leaf burn and I had that happen and didn't know what caused it

Frillylily said:well well well you solved one of MY mysteries... I didn't know that about the leaf burn and I had that happen and didn't know what caused it

Yup, heat+insecticide = burn

Update: Seven worked. I've had a couple more beetles show up for a free meal but I've just been knocking them off. The bushes were literally covered with dead beetles (ugh)
It worked though! And I still have spiders and lady bugs that survived it