Last June, I was inundated, and through summer had plucked thousands of JBs off my plants to drown in soapy water. I'd go out and get 50-100 (sometimes more) twice a day, and yes I counted. It was driving me crazy. I'd never seen anything like it. We'd milky spored the yard when we moved in and I'd never had a problem, no more than a handful all season. Last year was incomprehensible.

I also learned my hanging basket contained a geranium that would stun or kill JBs (discovered when I found them all laying unconscious on my patio, under the plant, then did research), and set it to work helping me.

This year I have removed none. I have seen none. My roses are beautiful, not lunch.

I just thought it was a bad year for JBs this year after a banner one the previous, much like I had a bad vole infestation three years ago, then none the next. (Or you could credit my dog with catching all the voles the previous year...)

I saw my first Japanese Beetle of the season yesterday. They're about a week early for me this year. I hate those things!

We all were hit with the beetles last June, but I wonder if it was because of the HEAT? It has been rainy and rather coolish for this time of year and maybe that is why. I do see some nibbles on my rose bush leaves but that could be other bugs...but seeing no beetles as yet in Williamsville area.

Ginny B.

I am just starting to see JBs in my area (Ontario/Williamson). Last year was insane with the beetles - they were eating my raspberry bushes, my clematis and other flowers (as well as my roses).

My neighbor put out 3-4 heavy-duty traps and I'm wondering if that is impacting the number that are showing up. Luckily they are all on his property so even if the traps are luring them over, they should stay out of my gardens.

-rini

Here is a link that might be useful: Williamson Garden Club

Two spotted yesterday in my yard (williamsville). Dunked both in soapy water. Since we're past time on a lot of my roses, it might not be as bad a year.

My bonica roses are in full flush though, and I've got some teas that are still going, along with ld brathwaite and a pair of climbers out of the canadian explorer series (John Davis???). I've also got a Hawkeye Belle out of the Buck roses, and that's re-budded already. Still a few blooms on my zephirine drouhin climbers, too.

Last year they were all over all my roses, my hardy hibiscus, hanging baskets (they killed a million bells!), you name it. It was insane. I swear I should have singlehandedly removed the entire Williamsville population, just from my yard, based on the numbers I killed. And yet, I know I didn't.

I've only seen a few this year, I assumed it was just too early for them. I'd be thrilled if there were just not as many. Last year was terrible! I couldn't believe anything was left when they got through with my garden.

hammerl, what type of geranium caused the japanese beetles to be stunned?

Yea, whats the scoop on that geranium???? I'll make a spray from its juice.
Von1

I am loaded with them here in the Albany area , I don't think there is enough soapy water or my energy to get them all so please talk to us about that geranium . thanks, Kareen

well last few days, last five days I've been picking them like crazy,they really love my horseradish plant,but the good thing is their seeming to leave my grapevine alone,of course my grapevine pretty shredded by something else,I have not sprayed anything on any plants,alike to do the whole organic thing.anybody has tips for me more than willing to listen,if you really want to laugh,I got out my wet and dry outdoor vacuum cleaner,and was sucking them in with the hose,but it was doing too much damage to the plants,it was too strong,but I was able to at least suck a couple of the air.
PS this is my first post I just joined the forum,I will have lots more questions.

WElcome to the forum kennyzzz. Vacuum up the JBs - how funny is that. But I'm so tired of going out every day with my can of soapy water, I may just try this. You may be onto something. Lets design a hand vac - slap on a cute logo call it something like "the mean beetle machine" and sell it in QVC and infommercials. :) But seriously, I have way too many JBs again this year. they leave my horseradish alone but love my roses - especially the red multiflora, Queen of the prairie and the jewel weed. I did milky spore this year - so if I'm diligent maybe in a few years I will see a population decrease. (I hope)

kim

The JBs love my Rosa Rugosa Rose so last year, I used a Plastic Folger Coffee can that has the "handle" and picked JBs. I could hold the can and get right under large groups of JBs and shake the branch right in the can with soapy water.
This year there have been some but not like last year, probably a lot of mating JBs were "interrupted" and no reproduction took place!

I use old motor oil in my can but the concept is the same. I make a daily round of the things they like best. It is probably futile, but there do seem to be fewer of them in the year after, if I am assiduous about it.. There are Jap Beetle traps you can use, and also milky spore applied in the spring to your grassed areas over several years will build up this bacteria harmful to Jap and Chamfer beetle grubs and cut way down on their presence. All of the above are organic methods.

-Rosalinda

http://www.research.uky.edu/odyssey/spring00/beetles.html
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1200/is_23_154/ai_53489709/pg_1
http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=17945919

I never noticed them going near any geraniums before. I've had scented, fancy leaf, ivy, martha washington, zonal, you name it. But I THINK this was a pinkish pelagonium peltatum (ivy/balcon). They were at that thing like crazy, went for the multitude of petals, and ate themselves to unconsciousness or death. Trouble is, they were drawn to it much like a trap. So all my roses near the basket got nibbled pretty good, too. Every day I would sweep up a pile of them from the patio, and have to pick them out of the large pots below that they had fallen into. It was gross.

They went for the petals, not the leaves.

The plant looked like this. http://www.rufer-blumen.ch/bilderarchiv/p/bilder2/pelargonium%20peltatum.jpg

Sorry for the delayed response, was away on vacation.

The little nasties are destroying my rose of sharons! They're into everything else too, but mostly the bushes.

Well I guess the buggers are mostly done for this season, haven't seen one in the last few days. My rugosa, rose of sharons, hollyhock, and St. Johns wort seemed to be their favorites.
Do the milky spores really work? I was told by a landscaper that it isn't feasible here in the north- can't remember why -something to do with the timing of spores and hatching beetle eggs??
Anyone have any luck with this method?

This summer I bought some guinea keets. While they were still to little to roam around safely, I fed them JPs by the quart. Once I turned them loose, I rarely see any JPs anymore or grasshoppers either. There is a demarcation where the guineas stop roaming, as I walk to the back orchard the grasshoppers are plentiful and I see the JPs flying around and eating the wild plants. Not too many bugs left in the yard or garden. Guineas are doing a great job.

I had lots of Japanese beetles early in the year but gone now. One interesting thing, one afternoon I went out to take down my clothes off of the clothesline and my sheet had many beetles that had landed on it. I had to brush them off with my hand. Any ideas why they chose my laundry? Not sure if I used fabric softner or not, but maybe they liked the scent if I did.