I left a few wild evening primroses ((Oenothera biennis) growing in the vegetable garden this year just because I like their flowers. I shortly discovered that the Japanese beetles liked them too and went straight for them rather than the vegetables. I wasn't so fortunate in the flower garden. Since I didn't have any primroses there, my roses suffered instead.

I can second this, I often can find those beetles in the tops of the evening primrose in early morning, and tap them into a cup of water.

AudreyDee said:I left a few wild evening primroses ((Oenothera biennis) growing in the vegetable garden this year just because I like their flowers. I shortly discovered that the Japanese beetles liked them too and went straight for them rather than the vegetables. I wasn't so fortunate in the flower garden. Since I didn't have any primroses there, my roses suffered instead.

What a great idea! And you won't attract additional beetles due to pheromones like in the traps or if you squish them!

Also found wild grape vine attracts them

I just looked up wild evening primrose. It looks like the quintessential easy plant!

Good to know, and beautiful plant. Thanks.
Perhaps this should be in a separate thread, but... Every year flea beetles attack my arugula plants just as they're starting to bolt. If I pull them out the beetles attack everything else in my "salad bar." If I leave them alone, the beetles totally demolish only the arugula then...poof! Disappear. The only downside is that they destroy most of the seed heads, too, but seed is cheap.

that suprises me, as my arugula is very clean. It's my eggplant and amaranth that flea beetles destroy.

No explaining regional tastes!