I Hate Japanese Beetles!

go here The Japanese beetle has invaded my gardens and yard. They have been voracious this summer and really inflicted a great amount of damage. The beetles eat the surfaces of the leaves, but avoid the vein which remains intact, and therefore the foliage looks lacy. However, it is not a pretty sight to any gardener.

Lacy Leaf Damage

Tramadol Where To Buy Uk Lacy Leaf Damage on Filbert Tree © 2008

https://www.brigantesenglishwalks.com/0dqcnc8s The beetle was first discovered in the United States in 1916, and it is thought it was accidentally introduced in New Jersey in imported Japanese iris. The beetles are controlled in Japan by natural predators, but are unchecked in the US. They are found in every state east of the Mississippi River, except for Florida.

source site The best defense in my smallish garden is removal by hand – yuk! There are traps using pheromones, but some studies show the traps can actually attract more beetles than they catch. I’m not one to use much in the way of chemical control if possible, but I”ve been using Bonide from Garden Naturals in the worst areas and that seems to have helped.

https://www.mbtn.net/?p=pgi9m4uo7n4 Anyone else fighting these pests successfully with other means?

Grasshoppers on A Cattail (X-Rated)

Grasshoppers on Cattails

get link Differential Grasshoppers on Cattail © 2008

https://purestpotential.com/oh1jbei While hiking in the prairie just north of Madison, I noticed a cattail that had exploded with seeds. Upon further examination, I discovered two grasshoppers partially hiding in all the fluff. They seemed quite preoccupied and didn’t appear to mind my camera lens pointing within inches of them.

https://getdarker.com/editorial/articles/cca78ddls I think this may be my first ‘insect’ shot. I usually am too impatient to wait for insects, but this was a ready to take photo.

enter site When I went to do some research on these complicated looking creatures, I found hundreds of pages of information on grasshoppers. I had no idea there were so many different grasshoppers.  I concluded that these were a pair of Differential Grasshoppers – what an odd name! – by the unmistakable black chevron pattern on their hind legs. Pretty cool pattern.