Thanks for the warning. I work full time and don't have kids at home any more, so I put out traps. I know "they" say that the traps just attract more beetles than they catch, but it can't help but reduce the population if we all put them up. the first year I did it I emptied them every few days and disposed of thousands of the critters. Since then I haven't seen but a few each year.

Hi, catbird....the 'problem' with the traps in not that they attract more beetles than they catch, but that they WILL attract more beetles into your vicinity than if you didn't have a trap. So, in some instances, the JB problem on your plants might even be greater than if you hadn't put out the traps. But, if you are locating the traps well away from susceptible plants, and if you don't have much of their favorites foods anyway, you'll probably be in fine shape. Sound like you are.

Plus, your neighbors appreciate you attracting the beetles to your traps, lol!

I do put the traps away from the gardens and I have had decreasing numbers of beetles over the years since I started. If we all put out traps and killed lots of beetles each year, there would be that many less out there laying eggs for next year.

You have the problem solved.Everyone trap those beetles.I was listening to the radio this morning[101.1]and a caller said the japanese beetle were a protected bug.Has anyone else heard that.I almost wrecked my car.He said that he was in the pest control business and the government sent him a paper with all the protected insects,and they were on it.I was just wondering if anyone had heard.I sure hope not.They will arrest me soon.hahaha.Paulette

NOT!!! JBs are among the list of insects that are on the quarantined and protected list......but that is a list of STATES. Meaning that those states that have not had major JB outbreaks are protected from introduction by as many methods as possible (inspection, inventory, quarantine, etc.) It would be scary to think that a professional in the pest control business could misinterpret something like that.....or maybe he was just pretending. ;-)

The gypsy moth is part of that program, of course. There are many states have protection status against the introduction of those awful insects.