Yep, they're out in force now for the next few weeks. They've been a bit weird this year though - they're still eating my berries but they've expanded their palate to the potatoes, asparagus and roses. The milky spore that I put down last year is helping but I still have to get out every morning with a bucket of soapy water and knock them off the leaves into the bucket. Definitely worse than the caterpillars ... those I can just dust with BT to control.

I have a Teece brand Japanese beetle trap that I place about 25-30 feet away from the area I want to protect. I have so far in the past 3 days caught HUNDREDS and HUDREDS of these little %$#^@'s! To kill I just dip the plastic container into hot soapy water for a half hour. These things really work.

Tom

Tom, how do those traps do at keeping the beetles away from your plants? Some people have said that they catch lots of beetles, but attract even more of them to the vicinity of your garden.

Putting the traps at a distance is the secret to using them - don't hang them up over your plants. On your property line or on your neighbor's property is the best place but 50 to 100 feet away from the garden is the ideal.

Also Milky spore is the ground treatment.

http://www.milkyspore.com/milkyspore.htm

Tommyr -- would someplace like Agway have the traps or do I need to order online? The beetles are so bold they are literally nesting in the roses. thanks.

Do they seem to be on the wane? Mine (knock wood) are less numerous this week.

... By the way, I found (by accident) a nice way to control Japanese beetles: grow evening primrose (Oenothera), a pretty yellow flowering perennial or biennial. The beetles love this plant and will gather on its leaves ... just shake them into a tub of warm soapy water.

Agway should have traps or just about any garden center.

I caught one the other day on my hibiscus and threw it in the pond.My large comet loved it for lunch!!!!!!