Are they gone yet? The onslaught of Japanese Beetles this year is forcing me to consider surrendering any claims I might have of possessing a green thumb. I sprayed more than I like and they kept coming and coming.

It appears that the Japanese Beetle populations are on the upswing. My records suggest that this was the third year of increased populations. I think it was the worst I have ever seen.

They attacked an early-August ripening peach tree. I have grown this peach variety since the 1970s and have seldom seen significant damage. Populations are usually in decline by early August.

Despite spraying several times, the beetles finally won. Instead of baskets of peaches I got maybe a half dozen useable peaches. A few beetles were still clinging to them when I got them to the kitchen.

On several ornamental shrubs, and I do not grow roses, their favorite food, I killed beetles until they formed almost a solid layer on the ground. Still, some of my shrubs have a rather eaten look.

My guess is that the heavy rains of spring and early summer permitted every beetle to climb out of the ground. A second guess is that the cool spring also delayed their emergence a few days. My last guess and hope is that the current dry spell will make it more difficult for the young grubs to become established in the soil now.

A friend and neighbor put it in awful perspective. We have the menace of the beetles. Next come the grubs followed by the moles.

The grubs feed on the roots of plants and can do significant damage to yard grass if populations are high enough. My guess is that unless you were spared this year, and I have yet to find the person who was, that your grub population is high.

If you wish to treat for grubs, now is the time.

Organically, there are nematodes or the bacteria milky spore. The literature suggests both are slow acting as they build their own populations and will have limited near term impact on large populations.

Chemically, my guess is that one needs a license to get the most effective materials so hiring a professional might make sense. If you wish to do it yourself I would suggest consulting an established spray dealer or calling the Master Gardener's Hotline at 394-6851 for suggestions. The old stand-by insecticide, Sevin, is quite effective on grubs although I try to limit my use of it because it is very nasty on all insects, both friend and foe. Any chemical must find its way into the soil to be effective, so spray just ahead of a shower or water the area after application.

I'm still seeing a few adult beetles out there as the end of August nears so maybe the worst is over. Or maybe this is the first of our problems.

I remember dad telling tales of crop failure as the Japanese Beetles spread across Lancaster County in the 1930s from their point of entry. He said that they increased their range about 20 miles a year. I guess they aren't gone yet.