Japanese beetles and I go way back. As a child growing ornamental gourds, I quickly discovered the need for Japanese beetle control. I remember seeing leaves covered with these pests -- not only the leaves of my gourds, but also those of the nearby Japanese knotweed. Of course, there was no need to practice Japanese beetle control on the knotweed: they could eat that to their hearts' content, as far as I was concerned....
Recently, I haven't seen many Japanese beetles around. Then again, I grow different kinds of plants now. Today, however, I noticed a Japanese beetle on my black hollyhocks. I'm hoping the problem doesn't escalate, but, if it does, I found some tips on Japanese beetle control on Marie Iannotti's site. Among other things, About.com's Gardening Guide writes, "The most effective natural control is to go into your garden with a jar of soapy water and knock the beetles into it." Boy, does that bring back memories!
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