Beetle Invasion!

We've been invaded! Our whole property is swarming with Japanese Beetles. Seriously! Yesterday we were standing in the yard and someone noticed that there were a lot of "bees" hovering over the grass and around the plants. I knew they weren't bees, but at first look thought they were some sort of flies. Didn't pay much attention until I went out this morning and discovered that all the flowers, plants and trees were covered with Japanese Beetles, horny little buggers mating in clusters of insect frenzy.

I absolutely loathe those nasties. They play havoc with vegetation and can ruin trees and ornamentals. My favorite flower is the rose, but I have purposely avoided planting any in my east coast yard, knowing that Japanese Beetles are prevalent in this area, and roses are a favorite food of the beetles.

We put out a beetle trap, and they are so dumb it actually works, but I know that's not going to make much of an impact. I also captured some in a coffee can with water in the bottom, and probably succeeded in eliminating a total of a few hundred in just a few minutes, but soon gave up the effort. There are easily a million flying around and I was just frustrating myself trying to get rid of them. It's like sticking your finger in a dike to hold back the sea.

It's always something. Last year was the 17-year cicada emergence. I know it's all part of the natural cycle of life, I just wish they'd leave us alone. I really don't want to resort to any chemical pesticides, so we're probably stuck with them.

Bummer!