Blister beetles - Ask Extension
Every summer I get many bister beetles on my Japanese anemone. They devour the leaves and flowers and I pick each one off many times a day and drown...
Knowledgebase
Blister beetles #926808
Asked March 26, 2026, 11:56 AM EDT
Every summer I get many bister beetles on my Japanese anemone. They devour the leaves and flowers and I pick each one off many times a day and drown them in hot soapy water. I’m assuming they are coming from eggs in the ground underneath. Please tell me how I can get rid of these! Thank you.
Larimer County Colorado
Expert Response
Hi again,
(Feel free to send me multiple questions in one email, if you prefer - I'm the only person who answers them for Larimer County) :)
For the clematis blister beetle, it will be difficult-to-impossible to control the larvae, since eggs are laid near grasshopper eggs. Grasshoppers tend to lay their eggs in fields/open spaces and not the home garden. It's easier to control the adults once you scout and see them by knocking them into a bucket of soapy water - be sure to wear gloves. You could also use netting to protect your anemones from the potential feeding.
https://webdoc.agsci.colostate.edu/bspm/arthropodsofcolorado/Clematisblisterbeetle.pdf
(Feel free to send me multiple questions in one email, if you prefer - I'm the only person who answers them for Larimer County) :)
For the clematis blister beetle, it will be difficult-to-impossible to control the larvae, since eggs are laid near grasshopper eggs. Grasshoppers tend to lay their eggs in fields/open spaces and not the home garden. It's easier to control the adults once you scout and see them by knocking them into a bucket of soapy water - be sure to wear gloves. You could also use netting to protect your anemones from the potential feeding.
https://webdoc.agsci.colostate.edu/bspm/arthropodsofcolorado/Clematisblisterbeetle.pdf
