Garden Menace is Back

Japanese Beetle Infestation, 2010

Rose bush devastation.

I guess we can add okra to the list of plants the Japanese beetle will devour.

This has just been in the last few days.

The okra planted in the same box as the tomatoes hasn't been eaten nearly as much.  Wonder why.

My attempts at "organic" pest control: a small container with some rubbing alcohol in the bottom, and short stick to knock the beetles into it. Very effective, except when I went back to water there were just as many covering the leaves again.

They haven't seemed to notice the beans yet.  They are bush beans, rather than pole beans--I wonder if that makes a difference.  Also, I wouldn't care if they ate the scarlet runner beans, since I just wanted the pretty flowers anyway, but they haven't seemed to notice those either. 

I haven't looked at the apple tree, but I'm sure it looks just as bad.

I need to find out their range--I'm hoping I won't have to deal with them in Washington!