So far, knock on wood, I haven't seen any in the garden. Last year there were thousands. Maybe too early. But I haven't looked, today.

Sandy

I haven't seen any. Noticed one flower cluster today on the crepe myrtles that died back -- uh oh. Roses are not in bloom right now, so maybe the JBs will forget where I live. Y'think?
Sunny

Based on the last 2 years, they're favorites in my yard are the rose blooms/leaves (but not all the roses, go figure), the crape myrtle blooms/leaves, and the river birch leaves. Last year they ate my purple coneflowers too but not the year before.

So far I've chopped off the rose blooms and spot-killed with Sevin spray.

I'm not doing the traps this year.

I just found my first 2 days ago. They like my hibiscus and Rose of Sharon trees. They've not gotten on my crape myrtles though. :::knock on wood::: I spray Sevin at night after I deadhead the RoS and am careful to keep it off the hibiscus blooms so it doesn't hurt the bees. It's a war until the end of summer. I would love to try Milky Spore but it's too expensive.

We got a hard rain Saturday night so I expected to see more beetles this morning.....and I did!

I sprayed again with the Bayer 3in1.

Will check again in the morning and report back.

Now out to pick a few black raspberries before they find them!

Oh oh! Beetles yesterday on a stand of tall Missouri primrose....and on a grape vine. The traps came out and the beetles left the plants and swarmed around them. Maybe I can catch the infestation, which isn't bad so far, early.

Well, it's been a week since I saw my first one and chopped off all the rose blooms/buds. I don't know if it's coincidence or what, but they don't seem to be nearly as prolific as previous years. We also had the plum tree removed that they skeletonized each year so maybe that was attracting a lot.

I'm just spot-killing with Sevin and trying to avoid the other bugs. I've seen 2 praying mantis each time I've sprayed and really hope they don't die. I feel so bad about spraying.

Well another overnight shower washed off the spray, so I handpicked quite a few JB's.

I didn't spray yesterday because I thought we were getting rain again. I will spray this morning, but more carefully.
something scorched my replanted Oakleaf Hydrangea and it is right under the sassafras tree that I sprayed. I think I will cover it this morning before I spray.

So far, they haven't migrated to the berry patch! Keeping my fingers crossed. They aren't on the full size cherry tree yet either, but they have stripped the new sweet cherry tree. I hope it sends out new leaves!

I think the spray helps but with showers often, it may get pretty expensive.

I saw some on cinnamon vine. Wouldn't it be wonderful if they liked weeds better than garden plants? Last year I had a vine on my rose of sharon and they ate it up. I never sit in lawn chairs here because if you sit still a vine will grow on you; I am not kidding. It is wild here.

I have a wild grape vine growing at the back of my house that has been almost completely skeletonized by Japanese Beetles. I'm not seeing many on anything else but they sure like that grape vine. I consider it a weed and have tried to kill it a couple times in the past with no luck. It was growing in the middle of a clematis that didn't come back this spring.

I've seen just a few Japanese Beetles on my cherry tree, raspberries, and crape myrtles so far. I have a plant with pinkish red spikey flowers that they like (can't remember name). They like butterfly bush too but mine's not blooming yet so they're leaving that alone.

I hung up beetle bags again back in the field to try to attract them away from the yard but it's been so windy they're not working well. The twist ties that came with the bags to hang them up broke the first day. Beetles escaped. The ties I replaced them with broke the second day. Beetles escaped again. I found a heavier wire to hang them with but they have been blowing horizontally so I don't think many beetles have been dropping in.

So far - I have way less than last year. So either it helped to hang beetle bags last year, or we just haven't had enough rain yet to bring them up out of the ground.

I remember reading that they start laying eggs the first week that they emerge so it's important to get them early.

I know half of the ones I see are in breeding mode!

I sprayed again this morning.

Still don't see as many as last year. I am hopeful.
Here they are liking that little sweet cherry more than anything and my Aloha rose!. I saw 1 or 2 on my vitex, and rose of sharon.

R of S is starting to bloom. Isn't that early?

Maybe we're having a Beetle-lite year as I'm still not seeing as many.

I didn't know rain had anything to do with it though. Meh.

I have two traps, they filled up pretty quickly the first few days and I emptied them this morning, and they are already filling up by this afternoon. So far I haven't seen a lot of damage, so I guess they are going straight for the traps.

We may have to resort to traps too. There are more each day.
I can hear them hitting the metal siding on the house and DH said he brushed under an Elm tree (they love Elms) while clipping the pastures and they just swarmed in the air.

I figure every one we kill is one less laying eggs!

I'm trying to keep track of how many I collect from the Beetle Traps. I'm just estimating the amount but I'd say a little more than four gallons so far.
The smell coming from my trash barrel is revolting. I think I need to leave a letter of apology and gift certificate for the trash guy. lol If the ones in the trash barrel are dead now, I may go dump them out in the field for the birds to eat so my trash won't smell so bad.

I have a new system that's easier for disposing of the beetles than trying to dump them out. I've been duct taping a large trash bag to the bottom of my beetle traps. When I catch a gallon or so in the bottom of the trash bag, I put two twist ties about an inch apart above the beetles and then cut in between the two ties. So I have a little bag of beetles to throw away and my trap is ready to go for the next day. I don't know if that made sense.

I am still knocking the ones around the house into water and drowning.

I have decided the hose-end sprayer of Sevin works better and longer than the Bayer product. It does leave white spots though.

We got a shower yesterday morning so I will probably have to spray again.

They are still not on the blackberries! I need to pick them this morning before they change their minds.

I walked back in the field yesterday where there are elms and it sounded like it was raining lightly under the trees. I don't know whether I was hearing droppings or just the munching sound of the beetles. There was a layer of skeletonized leaves laying on the ground underneath. There must be millions still in the trees. I could see them on every branch.

The love elms!

I saw the first ones on some blackberries. I checked the label and after picking almost a gallon, I sprayed the patch with Seven. I have to wait 7 (no pun intended) to harvest more. That should work.

I also sprayed the planted around the house again with the 3 in l.

I now also have June bugs to join the crowd.

This makes me remember when we had Elm Beetles and the resulting tiny worms would defoliate the Elm trees by late summer......I haven't seen them in years.....maybe the JB's will go the same way. We can only hope! All I did for them was spread wood ashes at the base of the trees for several years.

I still don't have the gazillions I had in the previous two years. Don't know why, don't care. It must be an elm tree in our back yard though because they're devouring it.

I'm just spot killing with Sevin. It's fun to hit them mid-flight, hehe.

I think our Elm trees may be the big draw here too but if we cut all them down, we would be hurting for shade.

The things I have sprayed with Sevin are staying pretty clear, but a rose or sharon I haven't sprayed was covered with them yesterday. I will spray things I have missed again this morning.

So far, they haven't swarmed and hit me in the face like last year.

I still make my morning check of plants around the house and knock a few into my can of water.

I see holes in my patch of 4 o'clocks but Helen said it poisons them so I don't spray them at all. I have seen a few on them, it must kill them pretty fast. I should check the ground around the plants.

The June Bugs didn't last long.....it is a curious year.

They love the elms, and also the black walnuts and hackberries. There is beetle frass all over everything,like black dust, and the traps are filling up as fast as I can empty them, but thank goodness they are mostly staying up in the trees and are not munching on my plants. I have to sweep the deck at least three times a day (ok, I got smart and I'm using my blower now). There must be millions of the things.

Glenda I don't believe the story that four 0 clocks poison them. I have read that somewhere on the garden web too. I did say the big seeds of four o clocks might be a hazard for children. I have read that they are poisonous as are many common plants, but I have never seen any evidence of dead JBs. If only they were suicidal. I am not getting much damage from JB except they ate the petals off my white rugosa rose and grape leaves. Stink bugs are my big curse. I have black thumb from killing them by squishing them with my thumbnail. Bleach won't even work on my thumbnail. I have found that the adults congregate at the tops of my tomatoes in the evening. I already have damaged tomatoes, but I have killed over 50 a day for several days. In the daytime I can't catch them. I am not getting the nymphs; I think stinkbugs may breed at the plant tops. I bought a trap that doesn't work. It is call Dead INN; the pheromone in it may be for the Asian stinkbugs that are new.

I found out it was P Allen Smith or who ever writes for him that said four o clocks kill JB. I guess he knows more than I about gardening.

I must say I know very little about japanese beetles and june bugs. It was only last year that I learned what grub worms turn into.

Last fall we collected over 100 bags of leaves from neighbors (we live in town) in addition to our own leaves. We used them in different ways: mowed over them and spread the shredded leaves over veggie beds, placed full bags on turf where we wanted to expand veggie gardens (to kill the grass so tilling would be easier this spring), etc.

I usually spread thick layers of newspaper around tomatoes and top with grass cuttings from the mower bag but this year I'm also using cardboard for the walk ways. We dont seem to have as much grass clippings this year so I decided to use some of the leaves still in bags.
Well, in the bottom of these bags where the leaves are decaying... there are grub worms! yikes. I just did a search and it seems like they are probably the june bug variety. I collect as many as I can find and put them in the bird feeder. The cardinals seem happy with this treat.
I doubt I got all of them but didnt want to contribute to the population.
There are still many bags to empty, chop and spread around the rest of the tomatoes and peppers. I'll keep my eyes open for bird food :)

After doing a bit of searching for the grubs, I'm not sure I've seen a japanese beetle in my yard. Is it possible not to have them here in NE Kansas? I dont have elm trees, crap apple, blackberries, roses, etc.
I'm so sorry you're all having problems with them.

Does treating the soil help control next years 'crop' ?

Nancy, I hope you never get them at your house.

They are getting worse here by the day. I need to buy Sevin again. I knocked maybe a cup and half into the water/soap solution can yesterday morning. Most were on the rose of sharon by the garden gate. I don't know if I held the almost empty hose-end sprayer at an angle so it didn't mix well but the beetles were still there later in the day.

We finally got a blessed 1/4 inch shower last night so I will spray again this morning. I see a few on the glads and the daylilies now. The elms leaves are everywhere!

Maybe you just solved the quandary about my NOT having June bugs--Grubs. I have armor-plated opossums that dig everywhere for grubs--but I don't have the bugs--and I have hundreds of Ro'S.

I have emptied the beetle traps on a daily basis for about a week now. About a pound of bugs in them each, every day. Still going strong, I find "lacy" elm leaves everywhere on the ground but no beetles on my perennials, yet!

My latest report on the beetles is this: Sevin and the 3inl didn't seem to be working so I mixed up malathion in the 15 gallon battery operated sprayer and hit things. By evening they were laying dead on the patio around the cistern planter.

This morning I saw they were all over the pole beans so I tried the Sevin on them. I don't trust the mix on the hose-end sprayers. I think it is too weak.

We bought two traps yesterday at MFA and hung them this morning after the rain. They are both already filled. These are Spectracide and I don't think the bags are as large as last year's traps. They did come with an extra bag.
Now I wish I had bought more traps. They are swarming around them!

Does anyone know when they leave? Someone at MFA told me the end of July. I sure hope that's right.

I saved my traps from last year, kept the hormone cakes in a glass jar as they are supposed to be good for several months, and they were as good this year as last. As for replacement bags, I use the big yellow bags the Sunday and Wednesday newspapers come in, or bread wrappers work just as well for replacement bags. I poke holes in the bottom with a ice pick, fold down the tops and poke slits to fit on the holder, and put a big rubber band loosely around the bag to make a "Waist". Works great, and I don't have to buy any more bags. Then when the bags are full, I just tie knots in the tops and put them in a grocery bag, also tying the top of that and toss them in the trash.

I save those bags all winter long so I have plenty.

Not sure when they leave but I think they are about at their peak, I have about a pound of them in each bag everyday. It can't be soon enough for me!

Sandy

Sandy, I was just wondering about saving those baits. The Spectracide ones are a little round cake and I thought that if I put them in a jar airtight they would still work next year! Glad to hear they do. I was already thinking of how to make replacement bags and you gave me some great ideas!
I don't have bread bags because I make our bread but I can find something I can use.

The traps were filled by bedtime. I want to figure a way to feed them to the chickens....maybe drown them first?
The chickens go crazy over them.

Well, they came, they stayed, they are now munching on the new crepe myrtle growth -- much less in number than last year, though. Again this year I'm spraying each JB I find with liquid Sevin, and being very careful not to if there is a honeybee around. I lost all the tall "tree" shape wood over winter that over several years I had carefully developed, but they all came back with bottom growth. Haven't seen any on my roses but the butterfly bush had several yesterday. One flew into my lips and I'm sure glad I had my mouth closed! yech.
Sunny

I estimate that I've collected enough to fill 2 five gallon buckets this summer. There weren't as many in the bags yesterday so I hope that means the numbers are starting to dwindle. It could just be because it wasn't as windy.
I reused one of the baits too but the other one was a bag from last year that hadn't been opened yet. I kept the used one in a baggie over winter. Both traps work but the new one is catching the most.
If they didn't smell so bad, I would save my beetles for my dad's chickens. You could drown them in a bucket of water. I wouldn't leave them there very long.

The benefit of attaching larger bags at the bottom is that you can wait to dump them late in the evening when they're not buzzing around all over the place. If you change the bags in the middle of the day, you have to be sure to keep you mouth shut like Sunny said. lol

Christie, if you empty the traps within a day or two, they won't smell yet. Be sure to empty then into a large bucket with enough water to cover and drown then first..........I didn't and almost lost the devils again. They began crawling out of the chicken yard rapidly. I burnt the chickens out on them. They didn't even eat them all.

I was able to reuse the Spectracide traps. They filled in a day and I went out in the cool morning before the sun woke them up and could hold the bag upside down and work them out. I rehung the bags and by evening they were filled again!

I sprayed everything again yesterday morning because of the shower we had.

I can't see that the volume has let up any here.

I emptied two overflowing traps this morning!

I think I figured why we don't have as many butterflies....for about three years now we have been spraying for the beetles....not on any flowers but dahlias and roses though. I am worried that that is a problem.

I thought my Japanese Beetles had tapered off but I had a bunch in my traps yesterday evening.
Glenda - I'm seeing a lot of butterflies but mostly little Fritillaries, Buckeyes and Cabbage Whites. There are very few big butterflies like Black Swallowtails this year and I usually see lots of those. I haven't seen many Monarchs either. I think the dry weather might be taking a toll.

Christie, overnight we had lots of Black Swallowtails and Tiger Swallowtails on the garden phlox. Thankfully the beetles don't bother them so they had not been sprayed.

I see no let up in the beetles here either. I didn't get the traps emptied yesterday morning....got stung by a wasp and my hand swelled beyond using! I don't look forward to the disgusting smell this morning.

I am sorry you got stung. J beetles are not my big problem since water will soon be short again. I am having dog troubles. Honey cut his tongue and Annie is suddenly blind. We went to the vet yesterday; Honey has three medicines. The vet had nothing for Annie except to take her to a university eye doctor. She is ten and I am afraid it is permanent. I will have to adjust. She can't be out in the heat because she wanders and could get too hot. Maybe she will learn to cope. Both are getting chicken.

Helen, I am so sorry about the dogs. I know you love them.

Are you allergic to wasps Glenda? I usually just get a pea size bump. I haven't been stung yet this year but have been seeing a few different kinds of wasps on my flowers.

Helen - Sorry to hear about Annie's vision. Let us know how she's doing. Poor thing. I wonder how Honey cut his tongue. He must've cut it pretty good to have to take three different medicines.

The Japanese Beetles in the Ozarks in 2011 seem smaller and fewer in number. The best advice I've heard about how to deal with them is to not deal with them at all but just let them do their damage and move on, that the roses, crape myrtles, and other plants they attack will all recover.

Christie, stings have always bothered me worse than my husband.
First they hurt like the devil and then the swelling. My hand is still slightly puffy and sore as if someone had hit it with a hammer.

As to the beetles, they are as bad and as big here as ever!
If I did nothing, which is really appealing, I would have no green beans. They love those. They also strip the plum trees. On older trees that isn't such an issue but on new trees it can be a killer!

Helen - So sorry about your dogs' troubles. Chicken makes up for a lot of things with them --

Glenda - I'm allergic to stings and have found that taking Benedryl allergy med afterwards helps a lot -- good excuse for a nap, because I get sleepy --
Sunny

Well, I did it! I took down the traps. I got so sick of emptying them every day and the smell was abominable. I think more were swarming the traps that landing on the plants to eat. So, we will see what happens.

I anticipate having to spray the beans and okra (yes, they love okra!) now and then.

I finally yanked out the evening primroses they were feasting on in one part of the yard, and the trap there hasn't got many in it today. But the other trap is full to the max! It is close to a grape vine and the elm trees, tho. Guess I'll move the empty one closer to it. I did find some on a hardy hibiscus this morning, tho. They like those too.

Glenda I don't know anything about Japanese beetles, but I really think the traps are pulling them from grape vines which they love all over your property. Maybe you are making a dent, but I suspect the traps may be bringing them in. I have them chewing on a few things but everything is drying up anyway. I think they prefer grape to most of my plants. They may be helping some plants stay alive by reducing the leaves. I have grass hoppers too. At night I can pull their heads off; in the day I can't catch them. They are on my new pie cherry tree which doesn't have many leaves left.

So far, I am not seeing too many grasshoppers. I don't think I am seeing any more beetles on plants now that there are no traps.

The beetles are mostly gone now. I'm only seeing a few strays. There are a lot of holes in my crape myrtle but I saw a couple of big wheelbugs, and no beetles, so I guess the wheelbugs got them all.

Lots of grasshoppers, tho. They have eaten most of the leaves off the irises and a lot of my perennials are stripped.

The groundhog problem seems to be solved tho, for this year anyway!

There are still a few here too. They were on the okra so I sprayed. I saw some on the roses too.

Grasshoppers aren't too bad yet. Maybe they don't like our 108� temperatures!

My cat is having a great time chasing grasshoppers, he loves them to snack on. We've had bad grasshoppers for a month here on the south side of Joplin, so I guess they don't mind our heat. What they don't like is rain.

According to the USDA, we are supposed to be having heavy infestations of grasshoppers this year, and from the looks of my garden, we definitely do.