Finally something good from a severe winter, maybe

[Bert]

For the second year, we're seeing practically no Japanese beetles.

Two years ago, my wife and I could spend hours of quality time together, picking the beetles off our sand cherries, shrub roses and dwarf crab tree. I don't know if we had any real effect, but drowing the bugs in a jar of soapy water was somewhat satisfying.

So far this summer, we've managed to find just two. Last year was also practically bug free.

We're not doing anything different, but the winters have been particularly nasty.

We had several extended periods of cold, a week or more where the temperature never got above 0F.

There were many reports of municipal water supply lines freezing, even though they're buried 6 feet or more. The city suggested that if the cold water temp got to 36F or below, leave a faucet at a trickle to prevent freezing. The one time I checked ours, it was at 38F.

Since these conditions were region-wide, maybe we'll see a drop in beetle population for the next few years.

[Brooklyn1]

Now you went and done it... SHADDUP!

[songbird]

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no change here, we had the same kind of extensive cold winter, so i suspect it is other factors as i'm seeing japanese beetles this year. i never have sprayed for them or applied any other control just hand picking when i see them.

instead of drowning them in soapy water i smash them and leave them on the stepping stones for the birds to eat (hoping that some day they'll learn to find and eat them directly). i know the birds do eat them because if i come back in a few hours the beetles are gone.

songbird

[Pat Kiewicz]

Lately I've been seeing few or no Japanese beetles (which can be found feeding in the daytime) and finding Asiatic garden beetles when I pull weeds or empty buckets with rainwater. (Asiatic garden beetles feed at night.)

It may be that in some places, one invasive beetle has replaced another. Oh, well.