I really need help for you garden lovers. I hope I don't give anyone the creepy crawlies. Well, it all started last summer out of the clear blue sky. These huge, ugly, beetle things came for a visit in the summer. I've never seen them in my life and they came one day in the summer. There weren't a lot last year at this year. They are everywhere! They are about 2 inches, shiny green wings, fly, look like a beetle. Anyone have these things? My kids are scared to go outside they are so big and gross. If so, how do you dispose of them? They like to bump into walls randomly, and like to attack innocent people. I live in Jersey for petes sake! Where did they come from!?

Ewww!! Sorry, I can't help you. Try asking at a local garden store or pest control place. Maybe if you can post a pic I can look it up. But those would be able to offer actual help! Good luck, and did I say ewwww?

I was going to make a remark about you living in Jersey but then thought you might not appreciate the sarcasm!

Those green things have been there since last year? Hmmm... Get a pic if you can? And I'm with LadyZ... ewwww!

Kamikaze Katydids??

They are the 17 year bugs...big crop this year...cicadas or Katydids I think everyone has a different name for them, if we are talking about the same thing. Here is a link to read about them. I belive they are harmless..the weird thing is that they start shedding thier exoskeleton and it sticks on tress and everything...I don't like it but the kids think they are cool. In fact about 6 years ago when we lived in Missouri there was a little boy there who collected them (ewww!!) had a bucket full and my mean child squashed all of them ( but really who collects something like that??) See if this is what you are seeing.




http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/03/0329_040329_cicadas.html

Their not cicadas. I watched a show on Animal Planet that talked about cicadas and these are definetely not them. I found a picture of them. Their annoying!

Yes, we have them in Jersey as well. They showed up last year during the middle of summer. They are very big and sick. They are attracted to grass for some reason. They land in grass and when you get close to them they pop at you. Super gross.

OWOOOO When I was a young'n we called them thar bugs June bugs(cuz they come out in June). We would tie and string to one of their feet and hold on to it while they flew around. Better than flyin a kite! You don't need any wind!

I called those "June Bugs" they never really bothered me lol

Yup! Those are definately June Bugs and are completely harmless (unless you have rosebushes). When I was little I remember my parents getting these small hour-glassed-shape bags at the store that had a special scent to them. The June bug would fly down into the bag and, not being able to get back out agin, die.

I too remember tying string to one of the legs to fly them. We would get as many as we could and tie them to the straps of our tanktops and let them whiz around our heads. I think I did eight one time.

We had them in Illinois too! We called them June bugs or Japanese beetles. I broke my arm the summer before I turned 16 because of them...true story. I am allergic to bee stings (I could die if I get stung), and the beetles swarmed up through the pasture toward the deck we were painting, I got up and ran (thinking from the buzzing that they were swarming bees, I was really afraid), slipped in the wet paint, fell off the deck, and broke my wrist. I spent most of the rest of the summer in a cast then a brace. They really aren't harmful though, and if you catch them, you can tie a string around them just behind the thorax and make them fly in circles. Kind of like a little flying pet...

Yuck! Those look disgusting, and must be super annoying..they don't fly around where I live, so I've never seen them.

Zippy D Doda :

OWOOOO When I was a young'n we called them thar bugs June bugs(cuz they come out in June). We would tie and string to one of their feet and hold on to it while they flew around. Better than flyin a kite! You don't need any wind!

You tied a sting to their legs?

You use thin string and you tie it just behind where their head and upper body meet the wings. If you look at the picture, it's where the thicker horizontal black line would be behind their head. We didn't hurt them, and we let them go after a few mintues, but it made dealing with these great big bugs more interesting rather than just a pain in the rear. They can't sting or bite, although their legs can scratch a tiny bit if you have a sunburn, about the worst thing they can do is crash into you when they are flying...ouch.

I was riding my quad last summer and I was going pretty fast and all of a sudden....WHAM. One of them hit me square in the head. It hurt cause their bigger than most bugs I see. Ouchy.

Wow! Quad's are cool. The other day, I was riding my bike, and I bug went in my eye.