I haven't saw any, Yet. I did get my first ever Kudzu bugs last week, hundreds of them, they were eating my green beans. I knocked them out with liquid seven.

Now I need to find out what is munching on my squash, seven didn't help on them. It looks like squirrels or a terrapin may be the guilty party.

I'm just south of Chapel Hill, not far from you.

I knew they'd show up around June 1st, so I spent Saturday morning taking the new growth, buds off of my KO roses. Keeping the blooms off to avoid attracting the dang JBs.

Hopefully, they'll all go to my neighbor who hangs those JB catcher bags! (I know that's mean to say, but you understand, right?)

Thanks for the heads-up.
Cameron

Not mean at all. Self preservation! Perhaps we should all try to convince our neighbors' neighbors to use them [ ; -).

Plant Four O'Clocks. You'll have pretty flowers and the Japanese Beetles will be attracted, bite the leaf, and die. I've planted them near vegies, crepe myrtles, and roses for years. I never have a bug in my yard- but neighbors do!

I squished my first two of the year this morning. They were on the grapevines at the far end of the garden.

Nope...no yet but when finally (I tought) I started to win the slugs/rollie pollies battle I spotted in dif locations the horrible white flies...

I'm still surprised that I am seeing so few; and that you all are seeing almost none either. I have noticed that they are not being selective yet. I have seen a few on some raspberries (and a few more later), and only a couple on a rose; then several on my grapes (and a few more the next day, but none today); and a few on my now almost unreachable crape myrtles (but no more that I could see) and none on my hybiscus or rose of sharon; and most interesting to me, a couple on a winged elm seedling right next to a little rose.

They have arrived. A few are on my roses.

Cameron

Early in the morning and around 6 in the evening is my best time to catch them and drop them in the soapy bowl... I guess they are sleeping and never see me coming.

I also have seen less and less every year - maybe because I have been so diligent in catching them.

You snipped the new buds? Wow - that's interesting - Not sure I can do that - but so far just found them nestled inside the budded flowers... especially in the evening.

Don't you just hate those beetles? :0/

Carrie

Carrie,

Yes, I cut off the buds in June. I don't allow my Knock Out roses to bloom when the JBs are around. I "keep them in the green" so to speak. Fewer beetles will show up and the roses will rebound better and bloom. I don't know if folks with the more elegant roses do this or not.

I don't use poisons in my flower gardens since I want to attract Monarch butterflies, bees, and other pollinators.

Cameron

This has been an unusual year (I have been here seven years) for the dreaded beetles. I am still not seeing the normal hoards that I have found in the past. I did have one day where I killed 20 + 40 in two huntings in a day, but generally I have been catching around 20 or less each day. At this point I would expect to be drowning 200 or more per hunt for at least 400 per day.

Anyone else notice a dramatic decrease?

Yes, there has been a decrease. Maybe it's from the cooler temperatures in June so far? Don't know. Just guessing about what's different. Winter was mild, so I was expecting more, but I have so few. Knock on wood!

Cameron

I find some beetles on the leaves also, Cameron. I don't spray either but luckily I am outside all day and just keep checking and dropping them into the soapy bowl. I think I have less every year because I have killed so many and there are fewer laying eggs.

I will check the buds and snip those that may have been attacked. So far, I only find them on Gaura, roses and hibiscus.

Thanks for the helpful information.

\Carrie

I have been seeing a few on my green beans the last few days. Not normal, my fruit and nut trees are usually covered by now.

I thought I was the only one that noticed the decrease in Japanese bettles this year. It's very weird, but I'm not complaining. I didn't even have to walk around the garden early in the morning with my cup of hot soapy water like I usually have to!

I have only seen one but something has eaten all the leaves on my hibiscuses (or is it hibisci? LOL). Only the hibiscus...nothing else has been chewed on.