Yay for a Cool Spring!

I was reading the latest Wisconsin Urban Horticulture Update by the University of Wisconsin Extension staff, and they mentioned that our cool soil temperatures this spring have slowed the emergence of many insect pests by about 10 days. That includes Japanese Beetles. Hurray!

Last year I spotted my first beetle on June 25th and it was all downhill from there. I’ve gotten rid of a lot of their favorite plants since last summer, and I also treated all my roses and their favorite trees with systemic insecticides. I usually don’t use chemicals in my garden, but I need all the help I can get with those little monsters. Within the next few weeks, hundreds of the them will fly into my yard daily from a nearby city golf course (the larvae feed on grass roots) and mow down everything in their path.

I’ve heard that populations should peak here in the next few years and level off as the beetles continue their march westward across the country. While I don’t wish these pests on anyone, we could certainly use some leveling off around here!