June = Beetles

The battle lines have been crossed. I witnessed a few small Japanese beetles on my St. John's Wort earlier this evening for the first time this season. It's just a matter of time before the swarms of them appear to feast on my cherry tree, heuchera, zinnias ('envy') and crepe myrtles.

It's priority to start hand picking (drowning them in soapy water) or spraying this week. I believe Neem is the safest chemical but I have never used it and don't know if it works. I have only used Bayer Chemicals which are harsher. A trip to Southern States is in order to investigate. It would be interesting/depressing to keep a tally on how much I spend on this hobby called gardening.

Interesting and educational information: http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/entfacts/trees/ef409.htm