Question
We just returned home after being gone for about 10 days to find our beautiful knockout roses in bad shape. The leaves all over the tops of the bushes have been eaten or diseased. It almost looks as if the only thing you are looking at is the spine of the leaf. It has turned brown in color.  There are these large green bugs ( I don't know if these are Japanese Beetles) that are flying around and landing on the leaves. They are about 4 times larger than a ladybug and are greenish colored. We don't know what brought this about or what to spray to correct this problem. Do you have the answer? Thank You
Ann

Answer
Yes, what you are describing are Japanese beetles. They emerge from the ground in about late May and last for 45 days, even longer. They usually start at the top of the rose and work downward. Keeping the numbers down means that there will be less scent of the hormone and less will fly in. If you only have a few, then hand picking them off and dropping and shaking them in a bucket of soapy water. Shake the rose bush early in the morning about 7 AM as they will be sleeping and easy to get off the plants as well as picking up. Also you can use Malathion on them. Make sure you spray all around the base to get any new larvae emerging. These beetles when they find something tasty will alert others by secreting a hormone. When you remove them by hand, then only half will be alerted to come and eat. There is also another way to get rid of them and it is with a trap. I have heard horror stories about the traps because they secrete the same hormone and so hundreds of beetles are attracted to the trap. What you are doing is luring them in from all the other gardens around your area and then trying to kill them. The trap does work but it sounds frightening to me as many more go free then are caught. Then you have more beetles and more damage to other plants. Hope this helps