UPDATED Saturday, July 26 --- 6:00pm

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Japanese beetles are barraging the state capital.

The metallic green and copper insects have been damaging gardens, golf courses and swimming pools in recent years, and many say they are even worse this summer.

The beetle originated in an island in northern Japan and first appeared in the United States in New Jersey about 90 years ago.

Phil Pellitteri, an insect expert for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says in the last 10 to 15 years the beetle has arrived in northern Illinois and Wisconsin as well as Iowa and Minnesota.

But what used to be an isolated problem in various areas of Wisconsin has become more universal.

Adult beetles feed on foliage and fruits of several hundred species of trees, shrubs, vines, flowers and crops from the end of June until early September.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.

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Posted Monday, July 21 --- 5:15pm

This summer families across our viewing area are trying to figure out what do to about a pesty bug.

It's been 15 years since the Japanese Beetle arrived in south central Wisconsin. Now, yards and gardens are full of them.

But, the beetle battles have just begun.

"I got a little jar here," said Art Meyer as he stood in his back yard next to a plant full of Japanese Beetles. "You see there are several right here and we just dump them into the jar."

Meyer has waged war on the Japanese Beetle.

"In the last year, we have buried as many as 20,000 to 22,000 beetles," he stated.

When they first arrived in his garden, Art tried beetles traps, but only noticed the problem got worse. Because the traps attract more beetles than they catch. He next sprayed his yard for beetle larvae and collected the adults in jars.

"Getting rid of them like we have we are getting less and less on here."

But, there could be another reason.

The Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville, about two years ago, had a bad problem with Japanese Beetles. But, now they don't. The solution is that they treated their plants. But, more importantly the beetles just moved on.

"What we have noticed is that it kind of leap frogs every couple years. It goes from one neighborhood to the next," said Mike Maddox, a horticulture educator.

"Control is tough. To go out and kill every beetle is gratifying. But, it really is not going to win the war on Japanese Beetle."

To win that war, Mike suggest a grubicide if the larvae are damaging turf. For shrubs and trees treat the ground before the leaves form so it can be absorbed by the roots. For ornamentals try sprays.

"The toughest one is products that you eat," he added. "Because there are not a lot of options to put on food that you want."

Japanese Beetles prefer to lay their eggs in irrigated land. So at first, areas around golf courses were the worst. But now more corporations and homeowners are watering their lawns, ensuring future generations of beetle battles.

"Last year was the worst year. This year they are better because we treated. But, they are here to stay."

Another point is that Japanese Beetles prefer plants in the sun. They are cold blooded and do not like the shade.

For more information on how to control Japanese Beetles you can go to newslinks on this website.