You got that right! I'm LOADED with cucumber beetles, stripped ones and spotted ones. Fortunately for me they seem to be avoiding my cukes but they have zeroed in on my Italian climbing squash and zucchini. I always seem to find them in pairs, you know with one riding the others back :(
Never had this problem before. I've been squishing them like crazy. Hot pepper wax and insecticidal soap doesn't seem to faze them. Quick little devils.

I noticed them too; isn't it a bit early? Maybe I'm wrong; I have no brain cells ;)
I think those traps attract more, but who really knows? It's like using Milky Spore or nematodes; it'll cut down on the population of grubs in your lawn, but if your neighbors use nothing, you'll still get JB's. It is nice to see those traps filled up with JB's, but there's still too many doing damage to the plants. I feel like it's a no win situation. But, the only good JB is a dead JB...

Just this morning (Friday 7/1) I saw the first Japanese beetle I have ever seen in this garden. It was one of the problems I didn't have. He's history, but I will now be on the lookout for more. Maybe it's something about this spring's weather conditions. I have some spider mites and I'm sure that's from the dry conditions we had for several weeks. DON'T WANT JBS! They were very common when I was a kid and during WWII we were paid for jars filled with them.

There seem to be many more this year than the previous year. Since we had a colder and longer winter I thought we wouldn't have so many but I was wrong. They especially love the Yoshino and Kwanzan cherry trees and pussywillows. The trees are covered with them. I found one today actually eating a blueberry! I'm using a soap spray to get the beetles way up in the tree but I don't know if it actually kills them. I use the same spray on ants and they die almost immediately probably by drowing...clogs up their breathing spicules. We put out a trap one year and attracted more beetles. I later heard that if you use a trap, you should place it about a block or two away, the farther the better. If you don't like a neighbor hide it in their yard - just joking.

Dumb questions, I'm sure...when you pick up a Japanese beetle to drop it in a can, do they bite? I've a hard time wanting to pick one up :) And what goes in the can? Soap? Bleach? Thanks for yr advice.

Soap in the can with the water. They can nip a little, not always, but if you can knock them off of the bloom into the can instead of picking them off, that works OK too. I hate them so much I don't mind picking them off.

I have definitely noticed that beetles are worse this year. I have not seen a rose bloom in more than a month because the beetles get every single bud. There was a lull last week, but this weekend they came back full force.
I drown them in soapy water, but the effort almost seems futile. More come the next day.
I am this close to either giving up on organic methods, or giving up on growing reblooming roses.

I don't know where in New Jersey you are all from , but I haven't seen any beetles this year at all(knock on wood).I'm up in Warren county by the Delaware Water Gap.

Monmouth. We'll happily give them a map to the Gap...

Thanks Diane but I will pass on that one! lol

I knock them off with a pair of tweezers into a bowl soupy, foamy water and let them drown. At the same time, I knock off the earwigs and oriental beetles. I am squeamish. I will dunk the whole flower into the bowl to attempt to get it off first before I touch the thing. Still they ruin what they are after. I don't have the japanese beetles as heavily as you are describing here in NE NJ.

I am in Somerset and the beetles are the worst I have ever seen. I have been in my current home here 6 years. My grapes were COMPLETELY defoliated...they usually have some damage but not enough to worry about. My cherry tree is now almost defoliated. They have eaten every bud on my crepe myrtle and Rose of Sharton before it opens. They have damaged much of the leaves on a Stewartia. They are heavily damaging things I have never seen them on like blueberry bushes and potted Amorphophallus. A Virginia Creeper growing over an old stump has also been completely defoliated. Amazing!!!

And just as quickly...they're gone. I only(!) found six this morning. I few of my dahlias actually managed to bloom.

*sniff*

Actually, something is eating my plants but it seems to be during the night. Are Japanese Beetles active at night? Because there are no signs during the day of what they are. I don't think they are slugs as I would see some slime I think.

They are still not gone at my place. In fact, I keep finding them in odd places since their "favorites" are alread defoliated. I find them on Marigold flowers, impatiens, more on the Amorphophallus. The Rose of Sharon is a current favorite, with big "globs" of beetles on each opening bud. Grrrrr.

I bought a few 'Bug in a Bag' traps and that seemed to help somewhat. They had a feast on my climbing roses and eggplant. Eggplants are producing but my poor roses are pitiful :?( It's a jungle out there!