I found 3 in my roses yesterday. I was hoping they wouldn't make an appearance at all because last year their #s had dwindled to almost nothing.

They've finally arrived here, too [SOB] Fortunately, most of my once-blooming roses are going by---we actually got to enjoy the flowers this year before the beetles arrived. Veilchen, last year was our worst ever for beetles! Did you do anything to control them--milky spore or anything like that?

After I read this I went out and looked . Yep they are here also on my roses. William Baffin had a few on him. he just had his 1st big flush. So out I went and sprayed all my rose bushes.

mainerose, I tried everything over 5 years (including milky spore) to no avail. We were completely infested with them, had thousands if not millions in our yard every summer, on raspberries, hazelnuts, cherries, dahlias, zinnias, hollyhocks, polebeans, you name it, and esp. on the roses.

During the winter of '03-'04 we had record cold, and the clincher was no snow cover for the most part. The ground froze much deeper than usual. Result was the grubs froze, and I was only able to count about 30 JBs last year.

Am up to 4 now so far this year. But over at the garden I work in across town, she has a lot more so far. And they treat their lawn with everything.

I've handpicked at least 200 off my Morden Centennial rose today. I'm angry and disgusted enough to write a rap song or something! The wretched things give me the creeps. For some reason, they (for the last two years) have seemed to really flock to the Morden Centennial over the other roses. Has anyone else noticed if they prefer some roses over others?

Sometimes it seems that way, but after a while you'll realize that there is no rhyme or reason as to what roses or plants they prefer.

One year they ignored my rose 'Champlain'. I declared him beetle-immune. The next year they were all over him.

Then there was the year they all of a sudden took a liking to my pole beans. Had never had a one on my pole beans in years past. So disgusting I skipped growing pole beans the following year.

I'm picking them off of both pole beans and eggplants now. So far only a few per day.

MM

Found 0 yesterday. Keeping my fingers crossed that these pests will remain negligible.

Finding more in the garden I work in across town. But still nowhere near the amounts pre-2004.

Found 20+ on my raspberries yesterday. Grrrr!

So far I've only seen three, and one of them was floating in the pool. Of course, having said that, I fully expect to be inundated with them next week.

I will say that nearly every JB we are finding has the parasitic wasp egg on it (the white dot on its thorax).

Supposedly they are already doomed because the wasp larva will kill it soon as it hatches, but I can't stand to leave the JBs munching away and attracting other JBs.

Veilchen,

Thanks for mentioning the white dots. Maybe I will start sparing the ones that have them. I did that last year. Some JBs even had two white dots and one had three. Later I saw some of them hanging apparently dead on the pole beans.

MM

I had a terrible problem four years ago and milky spore solved my problem. I swear by it.

I was working in Waldoboro today and saw a bazillion JB's on a "stand" of bamboo. Most were engaged in, um well, the act of creating more JB's. I gazed in horror, and thought, well if they have to eat, let it be bamboo. Meanwhile, the mistress of the garden I was hired to till came along and plucked and squished JB's with great zest.

I admit to thinking they are brilliant to look at; alive, that is.

Maureen