If you have any experience in gardening, you have likely come across these invasive pests that love to destroy your plants. Japanese beetles will eat virtually anything they can get their pincers on, and will leave your garden looking like a dead and hole-y mess. So, what can you do to deter Japanese beetles from chewing their way through your garden?
Annuals That Deter Japanese Beetles.
Colorado is generally a rather warm and arid climate in the warm seasons. This limits your options on what can grow well in your garden a bit, but not too much thankfully. Unfortunately, Japanese beetles are a fan of almost any plantlife as food, so the options for deterring them are slim anyway.
When trying to deter Japanese beetles, you are best off planting things that have strong pungent aromas that will deter the beetles from coming near them. This doesn’t mean ‘stinky’ to humans, but rather strong to insects. Here are a few annuals that you can try:
Poppy.
Poppies are considered a short-lived perennial, however most gardeners do treat them as annuals. For this, they make the list. Poppies have a very strong aroma despite being a delicate flower, and it is well documented that Japanese beetles do not like the smell or taste of them. Poppies can be a great garden addition that will help keep these pests away!
Baby’s Breath.
Baby’s breath is a cute little flowering plant that can grow in a wide range of climates throughout zones 2 - 10. This makes them a great selection for those living in the more mountainous or cold areas of Colorado. These soft looking flowers are great for walkway edging or gardens and will help to keep japanese beetles at bay.
Snapdragon.
Snapdragon is a beautifully colored flower that provides a sense of unique accenting to your garden. As an early blooming annual, they love to blossom in the beginning of spring. This can help to protect your garden from Japanese beetles early on into the season. These true annuals are perfect for keeping these bugs out of your garden.
Other Plants To Consider.
Above we only mentioned a small batch of flowers that can help keep Japanese beetles away from your garden. However, there are a wide range of other plants that can also help to do the trick. While not flowers per se, they can still help prevent disaster from striking your outside area.
If you have an herb or vegetable garden, you can consider planting bulbs in it to help deter the pests. Plants like garlic, leeks, chives, and onions will produce an aroma that deters Japanese beetles from coming into your garden. These plants will provide you with flavorful dishes as well as a more happy garden.
Final Thoughts.
The trick to keeping Japanese beetles away is to simply plant things that they don’t like to eat. Once you have a handle on what they tend to avoid, you can set out on treating your garden to some anti-beetle annuals each spring season.
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