How to get rid of Japanese Beetles.

Unless you have Japanese Beetles, you're not going to care that your neighbor's lawn, or the farmers' crops are completely devastated.  The last thing anyone is going to do is go to the trouble of pest control for someone else.  But, if you're reading this, you probably wish they would.  Everyone says the traps don't work.  Well, here are the facts.  You decide for yourself.

The traps are designed to only catch the males.  Therefore, to actually lessen the population, you will have to use more than just the traps.  One things we do is spray plants that are decorative, or not consumed any more (but not flowering plants, please).  For example, that leftover lettuce or cabbage stump that they're eating.  Another way we do it is to hand pick them.

1-EVERY DAY I go out in the morning AND in the evening and hand pick every last little bugger off the beans and corn.  They love the beans, and the little hairs that grow out of corn ears.  I also check the apple tree, cherry tree, raspberries, and a few areas that are prone.  
2-It doesn't matter if they are on a weed or something that matters.  Get everyone you can.  If you don't that's just more for next year.  They are most active in the heat and dry of the day.  They will readily fall off the plants with the slightest breath in the mornings and evenings.  I always do at least two passes because many of them will fly back up to the plant if you miss them.
3-Set up LOTS of traps.  Now, if you are on a little lot, you will probably set up 5 or so.  We set up quite a bit, but we have about an acre just in garden space.  We put them about 20 feet from the garden, close enough to lure them away, but far enough to lure them away.
4-EVERY DAY I go out and empty the bags.  I don't replace the bags, I just hang them back up until they wear out.  I've had bags last for weeks.  I empty them all into a gallon glass pickle jar with plain water in it and close the lid.  Here is why the traps don't work for most people.  Dead beetles are about the foulest smell there is, and I shovel chicken poo.  They are driven away by the smell of the dead and drawn to the scent of the bait.  So the traps will lure them in, but only close enough to be a nuisance and not get trapped.  Therefore, you will have to empty them out often enough to prevent the bad smell.
5-Dispose of your beetles in several ways.  Put a lid on them and let them roast in the sun and drown.  Use soap in the water to make them drown faster.  We feed ours to the chickens and ducks, so we don't use soap.  I just call the birds and dump them on the ground.  They fight over them.  It saves on feed and helps the atmosphere.  Dead beetles really smell BAD!!!

Now, the hardest part of all is convincing your neighbors to do the same.  If you're lucky, you'll convince them to let you buy them the traps and empty them every day for them.  But I doubt it.  I have neighbors that lose their entire vineyard every year, and they won't do anything about them.

We have used this method for two years, and have noticed a reduction in the number of beetles from last year.  You can also buy and use Milky Spore, but is so expensive, and takes so long to actually affect anything, that you will have to do something in the meantime.  I hope this helps you.