What happened to the Japanese beetles this year? Cathy and I have kept a rough count of the beetles that have visited our yard and devoured the roses since 1999.We usually trap the beetles in a cup of soapy water and we keep a rough count as we are catching them. In the first few years we kept the count it was not unusual to get 75000 in one summer. The number has been declining and last year we had about 35000.

This year the beetles came about 3 weeks late and to date we have only caught about 5500. Compared to last year, that is a decline of about 85%. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining; I just wonder what happened. An article in the newspaper said the excessive rain fall we had this spring and early summer led to the demise of many of the unwelcomed pests. Apparently a fungus in the soil that thrives in moist conditions attacked the beetles when they were in the larval stage and killed many of them.

According to the entomologists at Purdue, the beetle population will also be down next year because not a many eggs will be laid this year. So relax and enjoy your roses as much as your can this year and next, as higher levels will be anticipated in 2010.