Japanese Beetles

I noticed last weekend that there were some beetles eating my basil. Then they went to the beans and the edamame. It turns out that they are japanese beetles.

Online, I read that you could use various poisons and then the good stuff:

strong coffee

catnip 

chives

soapy water

Somehow when we garden there is this thought that comes to mind - spray them. 

I mixed 16 ounces of water with 2 tablespoons of dish soap in a spray bottle. It does the trick. The japanese beetles fall right off after a minute or two.

Other gardeners have reported that they flick them to the ground or in a bucket of soapy water.

It all seems to work and since they are most active during the day - and a bright copper color - you can see them, spray or flick them and eat your food later. But it looks like if you leave them alone, they can do some real damage.