a2zmom. Be glad it was a JB and not a tick Lol. I hear there's a parasitic fly that lays it's eggs on Japanese beetles. The beetles only do significant damage to my Canada tick-trefoil, which is fine with me, because the Desmodium canadensis has a messy growth habit, and I don't want to grow it any longer. This plant in the pic is an unwanted vollunteer, and it might be distracting the beetles from eating more precious plants Lol.

Desmodium canadense, Canada Tick-trefoil with Japanese beetle damage. To it's right is the beautiful false aster, Boltonia decurrens

I've found ticks in my clothes, but luckily I've never had any latch on to me. They give me the creeps Lol. Im happy that you've recovered so well from Lyme disease!

If you saw the slugs in my garden, they would win the grossest thing contest. ive had Lyme 3 times, am very careless about protecting myself, and have yet to see a tick this year!

@Barrheadlass, three times? Damn. Glad you're ok.

@Jay 6a Chicago Ticks are so small that I doubt I could spot one. So I don't even bother. I just wear tick repellent clothing and put tick repellant on any exposed skin and hope for the best.

At my b-i-l's place up in Connecticutt, there was a giant slug. I mean enourmous. I was the only one brave enough to pick it up and get rid of it. We gardeners are a tough bunch.

a2zmom, do you spray the tick repellant on your clothes, or do you have them treated professionally? Some botanists that I know send their clothes out to be treated.

Yeah, I thought you were going to say a tick too. Those are the worst imo.

I once came in the house and a half hour later put my hair behind my ear and there was an oriental beetle stuck in it. Yuck. (in my hair, not my ear lol - that would have been even worse!)

But for me it's still those darn ghost crickets (aka spider crickets) in my basement. Every time I go to empty my dehumidifier I see them on the far, dark wall, just sitting therein the corner, plotting their world domination. I went down this morning after not being able to get to the dehumidifier yesterday and one or two had advanced about twenty feet into the light, just four feet away from the dehumidifier. I was terrified (when they are scared they jump AT you instead of running away) but I successfully emptied the dehumidifier without being attacked, and I hope that pushes them back into the dark, moist corners where they belong. It's a constant battle. Who needs Game of Thrones?

:)

Dee

Yes you can repeat ewwww!!

It would be a huge ewwww for me if it was a June bug!

@diggerdee zone 6 CT I used to have cricket spiders in my basement also. The fact that they jump AT you is what is so unnerving.

@Jay 6a Chicago Professionally treated. Insect shield will send you a bag for 99 bucks and will treat as much as you can shove into the bag. I did 6 pairs of pants, 6 shirts, a boatload of socks and two head scarves. It lasts for 100 washes.

I am thinking of purchasing another set of tops and pants so I don't have to do laundry quite as often.

They also sell their own pre-treated line of clothes but I'm way too short for any of it to fit.

Thanks for the tick repellant info a2zmom. I don't come into contact with ticks very often, but when I think I might, I use a lot of spray repellant and I wrap ducktape around my pant legs so they can't crawl in. It's more convenient than carrying an opossum and monkey along with me Lol.

Hmm. I don't find Japanese (or June) beetles at all gross. Not saying I want them eating my garden, but they have a certain charm. I also like insects that are hard to accidentally squish when you're handling them. 😁

LOL Fori…I’ll gladly give you mine!

On our hardy hibiscus:

I used to feed JBs to my goldfish. :)

Now I live where JBs don't occur, but just last night my kids and I captured the same *^%# June beetle 3 times before we could get it permanently out of the house. It kept flying back in because for some reason the kids like to watch critters fly off into freedom whereas the beetle wanted to come back in...and the kids won't let me feed anything cute to the fish.

@fort at least your kids are tender hearted. Not the worst thing.

Yes, I like the kids just fine! (One is technically an adult now. 😲)

LOL Fori…Thanks for the chuckle ☺️