rhizo: We are talking about 5 years ago when I was desperately trying to get rid of them. From what I remember I used numerous different products, more organic products than anything, but also chemicals that were not organic. I remember I even used a a spray that is suppose to be powerful enough to kill hornets (don't remember the name now). But nothing worked-killed on contact but they still kept coming day after day. I tried to only use the chemicals on the sunflowers rather than my vegetables because I was afraid I would poison us if I did. I had over $400 worth of Garden Alive organic products that I tried, Bulls-Eye I remember, and other insect killing products that I had gotten from Garden Alive--just can't remember all their names now-would recognize the names if I saw them. I also tried DE I remember. Sorry I can't remember everything--it was so long ago. As far as ants go, we can control local ants very well, it is the fire ants that keep giving us fits. My husband has spent lots of money on products that say it is for fire ants, but nothing seems to work. I have read up on everything I could about fire ants, things like you should put the poison granular on the mounds in the early AM because this is when the queen comes to the top--because it is cooler then--that she will go deep in the mound when it gets hot. My husband even pours boiling water on the mounds, but all that does is just make the fire ants that is left make another mound somewhere else. All the surrounding farms around here have fire ants, so even if you could get rid of the ones you have, you are just going to get your neighbors too. Everyone in the neighborhood has to get rid of their fire ants or they just keep migrating to each others farms. We even do things like run over the mounds with our cars every time we see one when we come home or leave the house, and my husband runs over them with the tractor whenever he cuts the grass. They even got into my gardening shed and ate a hole through the large sack of my potting soil and then proceeded to make a mound out of the potting soil! If you know of something that works, please let me know because we are about to have to sell our land just to get away from the fire ants! Thanks, Sheila

I have looked at numerous images of beetles and have yet to see one that resembles this one. I would put this one in a sealable plastic bag and take it to my nearest University of Connecticut (UCONN) Cooperative Extension Service office for identification. If necessary to control, not all insects need control, they will also have suggestions. Here is a link that might be useful: UCONN CES

Not beetles, but the nymphs of one of the 'truebugs' like stinkbugs, leaf-footed bugs, etc. I am not sure which one this is, since some of them look very much alike at this stage. I am leaning towards the leaf-footed bug, which is a plant pest. They stab into the foliage or fruit with their needle-like mouthparts and suck the juices out. Since these don't have wings yet, you could observe their behavior for a couple of minutes to see if that's what these are doing. If they are one of the assassin bugs (another possiblity), they'll go after aphids, and other soft bodied insects. Even each other. Here is a link that might be useful:

Ed......they're still kicking. In the 2nd pick, it's raining. Water makes them scatter. I posted in the Garden Clinic...per Julias suggestion. I'm told they're pollen beetles. They don't seem to be causing any damage to the foliage....just really ugly! I can dump them out of the flower blossoms and throw them away....seems to be the most organic means to their "end".