I went back out today for another look at those lacy leaves and not a beetle in sight. Probably hiding on some other plant of mine that still has leaves.

Here is a link that might be useful: Our pond and gardens

I GO OUT EARLY IN THE MORNING OR JUST BEFORE THE SUN GOES DOWN WITH AN EMPTY COFFE CAN WITH SOME WATER AND DISH LIQUID IN IT. THE THINGS ARE STILL DOOPY CAUSE ITS COOLER. JUST HOLD THE CAN UNDER THE PLANT WHERE THE BEETLES ARE AND KNOCK THEM OFF THE PLANT INTO THE WATER. DOOMSDAY!!!!!!!
THEY WILL DIE AFTER A FEW MINUTES. THEY JUST CAN'T LET ME HAVE ANY ROSE OF SHARON BLOOMS. SOMEONE ONCE ASKED ME WHY I PLANTED GREEN BEANS. I REPLIED." TO KEEP THE JAPANESE BEETLES OFF MY FLOWERS."

Von, I go out as much as I can... I always catch a lot early morning and mid afternoon.. BUT.. it is right by the street, in full view of the neighborhood, so I only go on my 'JB hunt' when I think people are not watching... I wonder what they think!! LOL! Strangely enough, JBs leave my 'Rose of Sharon' almost untouched. I guess, they prefer the cherry tree!
DO green bean plants repel JBs or do they act as a trap crop???

Kareen, you may have something else munching on your leaves as JBs always return to the same plant!!! Maybe Mr. Bear!

Anne-Marie

All this bug talk, Anne-Marie! You've got me inspecting everything now! I went out to look at my HH carefully after reading your post. I do see some leaves chomped so I bet it's the JB's! You can see the leaves to the right have holes. I wonder if my toads eat the JB's? (Lots of toad this year)! I'll have to relocate some around them to see what happens. Can't say that I can stomach picking off bettles (especially before breakfast)!

The plants are budding now. They are so pretty - looking forward to seeing them bloom. My sweet pea climber didn't make it from the swap :(. I'll have to move the arbor over so it will look like the HH's are climbing up it. I'm having a heck of a time getting something to climb up that thing. My Clem on the other side hasn't done much in the last 4-5 years.

Anyway, back to BUGS. My Goat's Beard is in bloom and you would not BELIEVE the bugs all over the flower. They are little tiny black things - they seem to hop but not fly around. I'll see if I can get an up close shot of them for you tomorrow. Here it is in bloom. Very airy - reminds me of an astilbe. Do you have any of these in your garden?

I also noticed a ladybug today sitting on a perennial sunflower waiting to bloom. The aphids always move in a day or two before my Rudbeckia starts to bloom. As soon as I see them move it - I know I'll be getting flowers shortly. You have turned me into a bug lady!

Shimla....if there is any life left in that sweet pea cut it back, we really mistreat ours and they just don't stop.

Anne_Marie....I suspect it is Hibiscus Sawflies that was making the leaf lacy.

Here is a link that might be useful: Our pond and gardens

I just spotted my first Japanese beetle. Time to get the traps up!

I don't use traps anymore since they seemed to ATTRACT every JB within miles to them!!

Instead I also go out in early morning and after dinner with an old plastic container filled with a couple inches of water and a couple of squirts of dish soap and just bend the leaves over the container and shake.

Shimla: that way you don't have to actually TOUCH the bugs! :)

However, if it's mid-day and the little devils are alert, I do have to hand-pick them off. Otherwise they fly away as soon as I shake the leaves. I actually don't mind hand-picking them off anymore since I make it seem like a game (JB's zero, adkmountaingirl 25). I also find it particulary amusing when you find multiple's engaged in what seems like an orgy...when there's 2 or 3 of them on top of each other like that, they are NOT alert, and they do shake off pretty easily into my "container of death." I guess it's the little things that amuse me! LOL!

adkmountaingirl
Wilton, NY

Are these pesky creatures going to be around ALL summer? They are devouring my petunias!

~Deb

Fairydancer, I actually don't remember when they finally disappear (i.e.: enter a new stage...) but I vaguely recall seeing them until late July on my sand cherry, with peaks on hot, sunny days. By that time there is so little left that they prefer to feast somewhere else! They haven't touched my petunias, though. They essentially go for any malva.

adkmountaingirl, I like your game!!! JBs zero, me 40.. unfortunately, this is just temporary, and they always come back in force! I bet they are winning now that you aren't home as much...

I also have to deal with the June/European chafer beetles. The info I read about those only mentions damage from the grub stage. Yet, the plants I find them on at night are just devoured (a little bit like damage from slugs). They love all my salvias and a few others. During the day, they hide at the base of the plants, 1/2 inch under the surface. Picking is easy, but more always return.. grrrrrr!

And then, when I go to the Community garden, more beetles: cucumber beetles and bean beetles.

At least, slugs have been non existent so far this year.

Anne-Marie...frustrated ..

I hardly see any JPs now that I use Milky Spore. A few might fly in from a neighbor's yard, but nothing like what I used to have...last year I saw one JP the whole summer....this year, I might have seen a dozen or so (probably because it has been so hot and dry)...and they have hardly done any damage.

For those who have never heard of Milky Spore, it gives the JP grubs a disease that spreads throughout your yard, year after year...one application has been known to last 20 years or more. For immediate control, you can spread beneficial nematodes on your lawn in May and that will kill all grubs, not just JP grubs...however, it needs to be reapplied every year.

And yes, don't use those nasty traps...they just attract more of them to your yard.

Hi AnnMarie

Kareen just got me back on GW. I have had a ton of Jap Beetles and am still out picking them off every day.

Great to see your posts on the web...I have missed everyone!
You must come back and visit!
Jean

I put down milky spore a couple times between last fall and this spring...I'm hoping it does the trick because although I am happy to be a transplant from the city into the country, I STILL have issues with certain bugs (black flies, wasps and hornets, and Japanese Beetles...how can a bug so pretty be such a drag)