Japanese beetles are back! They appeared 10 days to 2 weeks earlier than normal this year and indications are pointing to a very heavy population in many parts of the state. Last years weather conditions kept soils moist which apparently led to a very successful grub hatch. Early emergence usually points to a somewhat earlier egg lay in the summer, so do not procrastinate grub treatments in susceptible areas. The middle of July is the optimum date to have grub treatments in place if you are using Mach 2 or Merit.
The small piece of good news is that when beetles emerge early, they usually are gone earlier in the fall as well. I predict that beetle populations will decrease significantly by the end of August.