# Dealing death to Japanese Beetles - NEED ANSWER FAST! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 19, 2009, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-death-to-japanese-beetles-need-answer-fast/514405 "2009-10-19T22:47:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-death-to-japanese-beetles-need-answer-fast/514405/1 "2009-10-19T22:47:39Z")
They’re all over my ceilings! Short of setting fire to the house, how do I kill the little buggers? And where the hell did they come from all of a sudden, there were NONE here when I left at noon to take my husband to the hospital for tests! I’ve been googling and I see recommendations to knock them off into a bucket of soapy water - is there an easier way? I’ve already tried my vacuum, it doesn’t suck enough! Ick! ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-death-to-japanese-beetles-need-answer-fast/514405/2 "2009-10-19T23:08:05Z")
Ok, after googling some more it appears that these may NOT be Japanese beetles - they look like lady bugs, only orange instead of scarlet. Whatever they are, they need to get off my ceilings. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-death-to-japanese-beetles-need-answer-fast/514405/3 "2009-10-19T23:18:08Z")
> [@Marlitharn](#): > > … only orange instead of scarlet. … [del]Asian[/del] Japanese lady bugs! > [@](#): > > [Harmonia axyridis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonia_axyridis) is a large coccinellid beetle originally native to eastern Asia, but which has been introduced to North America and Europe to control aphids and scale insects. It is now common, well known and spreading in those regions. … > > … It occurs in three main color forms: red or orange with black spots (known as form succinea); black with four red spots (form spectabilis); and black with two red spots (form conspicua). … Other than that … I got nothing. ☹ CMC fnord! Oh, and don’t scare them! > [@](#): > > … Many people now view this species as a nuisance, partly due to their tendency to overwinter indoors and the unpleasant odor and stain left by their bodily fluid when frightened or squashed. … ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-death-to-japanese-beetles-need-answer-fast/514405/4 "2009-10-19T23:25:02Z")
they are asian beetles, they eat aphids, after a freeze the aphids die, the beetles which are cliff dwellers then look for a crevice to nest in for the winter. they are on the warm sides of your house looking for cracks to crawl into. their populations are large and appear in the hundreds an warm days after a freeze. a shop vac (powerful workshop vacuum) will capture and kill if it has real powerful suction. a regular house vacuum will suck them in and many will survive and some later escape the machine. don’t swish them they leave an orange stain. they don’t eat human food or fibers. they will die if they stay months in a warm environment instead of sleeping in the cold. ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2009, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-death-to-japanese-beetles-need-answer-fast/514405/5 "2009-10-19T23:36:25Z")
I just spent half an hour in my bedroom with a bucket of soapy water, terminating with extreme prejudice. They come in after a freeze, eh? That explains it; night before last we had our first heavy frost, and today was fairly warm outside. Oh, these little sonsabitches are going _down_ - I may invest in a shop vac tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Qwakkeddup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/90ced4/32.png) [@Qwakkeddup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwakkeddup)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-death-to-japanese-beetles-need-answer-fast/514405/6 "2009-10-20T04:04:44Z")
Seal all cracks around windows, check the weather seal around the door. I have been sealing cracks in the foundation, windows and doors, and the attic. I see substantially less of them than the first year in this house. Also best not to open the door facing the nice hot sun during the day, use a shaded and cool entryway. They will land on you in droves, thus you are the vector. Use of a shop-vac will be needed to make a dent in them this year, just store it in a cold area garage or porch so they will indeed freeze instead of escape. I feel for you, 4 year veteran of the Asian beetle curse! ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2009, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-death-to-japanese-beetles-need-answer-fast/514405/7 "2009-10-20T16:52:20Z")
I thought we’d escape them this year. Farmers have been harvesting for a couple of weeks and I hadn’t seen any, but they showed up yesterday. Must have been 50 of them on an east window. They’re not so bad today, maybe because it’s cloudy and cool. I knock them off the ceiling with a fly swatter and vacuum them up. There’s an insecticide that works but I don’t remember what it’s called. We used it last fall (outside, near the door) and the beetles stayed away.