Japanese beetles - again!

Found some of these vile creatures eating my roses. Last year was horrible with them. I was hoping to stay ahead of them this year, with monthly applications of Grub-X starting this past March. Too early to say whether this year will be as bad as last. The larvae (grubs) last year destroyed a strip of my lawn 40 feet long x 5 feet wide. I reseeded it beautifully, but who knows what will happen this year. The adult beetles consume my climbing roses with abandon.

In my neighborhood last year, many homes had severe lawn damage from these pests. Seems in southeast PA they are widespread and severe now.

Is anyone else dealing with nasty things? I hate them with a passion.

You may have helped the problem in your yard however, there is the rest of the neighborhood. They migrate to the food. Best bet, treat your lawn as you did, and set up some traps away from your flowers.

When we lived in Willow Grove, I could fill up a trap in a couple of days.

Paul

Thanks Paul. Do you have an opinion on the most effective traps? I've seen them in HD but wasn't sure they were effective.

Can't remember who makes them, but I always used the ones with the yellow cross pieces, the stick on lure, and disposable bags.

We moved to DE many years ago and don't have as big a problem, must be the sandy soil. Get a few, but not by the hundreds.

Paul

I'm in Horsham and had the same experience you did with grubs killing a 30x20 section of my lawn last year. And I had put down grub preventer in late spring as suggested by the experts. What is crazy is that my neighbor's lawns (which look like crap) didn't have grub problems. I guess they like the healthy, fertilized lawns better.

I too reseeded and it came back but what a pain.

I have never used the little bug bags but one thing I heard from two different landscapers was to not use them b/c they attract the bugs. Sure they kill them but while doing so, they attract others that may not be close by. They said, let your neighbors use them, that way the bugs will be attracted to their properties not yours. I'm not sure if that's true or not, but since my neighbor next door has one, I'm holding off to see what will happen.

Haven't seen the beetles much this year.. yet....

Funny, I think we have the same neighbors. His lawn is filled with weeds but no grubs. I have been finding beetles in my roses but not the same numbers as last year. I crush them when I find them but I can't sit in my rose garden all day. Hopefully they will be less severe than last year, so far it seems that way.

Live in north Central PA and we are getting eaten by those pests. Just put out my trap 2d ago. Very full tonight. Need to empty it out. It is one of the yellow cross piece things as described above. Good luck!!
OH

My grandfathers plants are being obliterated by these things (he is in York County, SC). He generally uses seven dust on his stuff to kill them but he has been having to put it out freuently this year and is still having to fight these things pretty hard.

For you guys around Phila. Just saw a report on Ch 10 last night interviewing a guy with an overflowing trap. They claim the infestation will be over in two weeks.

Paul

PEW,

Hopefully "they" are right. I do believe the infestation is a bit less than last year (knocking on wood). I like to think that my all out offensive, including monthly Grub-Ex applications and spraying, has had an effect on reducing these things. But maybe it hasn't and it's just nature taking its course.

The devil beetles are peaking in my area. They are devouring my rose buds and denuding my fothergilla. Nasty beasts.

Chassis,

We are in lower Delaware, have yet to see more than one or two down here. We have a place outside of North East MD, the roses are devoured! What a difference a 100 miles make.

Paul